The Plan
by kmwilson
Summary: "We need someone he can open up to and tell all his secrets to, someone who's on our side and who can tell us everything he says and does." He hesitated. "Hermione, I think you should seduce Draco Malfoy."
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all. Few things you need to know: 1. This is set in the Half Blood Prince as you will see but continues throught Deathly Hallows hopefully. 2. I tried not to go too OOC but this is FanFiction afterall and it's also a Dramione so it is inevitable. 3. This is only my second Harry Potter Fanfic but you all seemed to enjoy my first, so I thought over Christmas break I'd write another. 4. You will see familar scenes incorporated with my own. Some chapters may have more than others. I believe that's all for now. Enjoy Chapter 1.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

"Don't you see it was an initiation, a ceremony." Harry blurted.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Stop it, Harry. I know where you're going with this."

"He's one of them." Harry bluntly stated.

"One of who?" Ron uttered confused.

Harry said nothing in return so Hermione turned toward Ron and clearly stated, "Harry is under the impression that Draco Malfoy is now a Death Eater."

Ron scoffed. "You're barking. Why would You Know Who want a bloke like Malfoy?"

"Then what was he doing in Borgin and Burke's? Browsing for furniture?" Harry was sure he was right.

The three were once again on their way to start another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Over the summer while in London, they had seen Draco and Narcissa Malfoy looking awfully suspicious and so of course the three took it upon themselves to investigate. What they saw was rather curious. The pair of Malfoy's entered Borgin and Burke's furniture shop amongst many others dressed in black. Draco seemed to take curious interest in a cabinet.

Harry now seemed to think that what they had witnessed an initiation, but not just any initiation. He believed that Draco Malfoy now possessed the Dark Mark. Harry was determined to find out if he was right and he would take any measure to discover the truth.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On the other end of the train, in the Slytherin carriage, Draco Malfoy was standing in his all black suit seeming rather pre-occupied when everything went black.

"What was that?" Draco demanded.

Pansy, a girl with dark hair and a nose curled up like a pig stood up. "It was nothing. Probably just a first year messing around. Come on Draco. We'll be arriving at Hogwarts soon." She seemed desperate to have Draco by her side.

Draco took a seat across from Pansy and Blaise Zabini. "Hogwarts, what a pathetic excuse for a school."

Pansy was flabbergasted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just means I have better things to do than waste my time in charms class." He looked out the window. Blaise scoffed. "What's wrong, Blaise?" His dark friend just shook his head. "We'll see who laughing in the end." He tried to close his eyes and imagine a different world, one in which he was happy.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hermione sat there in the Great Hall worriedly while she watched Ron sit there and chow down his pudding. She started smacking him with a book. "Will you stop eating? Your best friend is missing!"

"Oi! He's right behind you." Ron said, afraid of being hit again.

"He's covered in blood again. Why is it he's always covered in blood?" Ginny openly stated as Harry came towards them.

Hermione smiled the faintest of smiles for she could see that Ginny looked at Harry differently than she did.

They listened to Dumbledore give his opening speech and they all gasped when he announced Snape as their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. The Slytherins however, cheered. Hermione looked over to the table and noticed something odd. She stared intently at Draco Malfoy who seemed to not be listening at all. He had his head propped up on his hand and he seemed to be staring off into the distance.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next day in Potions class, Harry and Ron walked in late not much to Hermione's surprise. The two had never been very punctual. But instead of worrying where they had been, she noticed Lavender Brown looking longingly at Ron. Then as she looked past the girl she once again took notice of Draco Malfoy. He seemed to have the same look plastered upon his face as he did in the Great Hall the previous night. She noted that he seemed lost.

When Professor Slughorn asked the class to identify the potions in front of them, she eagerly raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss?" Professor Slughorn asked.

"Granger, sir." She walked up to the table hesitantly. "That one there is Veritiserum. It's a truth serum. And this one here is Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in the world. It's rumored to smell like whatever attracts the certain person. For example, I smell parchment and freshly mowed grass and spearmint toothpaste." She walked away flustered.

Slughorn went on to say how it was awfully dangerous and then when Katie Bell asked what the last vile contained he explained that it was "Liquid Luck."

Hermione again noticed Draco. His expression changed finally towards the potion Slughorn was explaining and Hermione wondered what Draco could possibly need it for.

Once Harry had been given the vile of Liquid Luck for making the potion correctly, they left the class.

"That was bloody brilliant Harry." Ron gloated.

"Thanks." Harry smiled, very modestly like always.

"You were even better than Hermione."

Harry had expected Hermione to snap at Ron for this comment but it seemed as though she wasn't even paying attention. "Hermione, are you alright?"

"Have either of you noticed that Malfoy hasn't really been himself lately?" She inquired.

"Well he hasn't insulted us if that's what you mean. Are you complaining?" Ron huffed.

"No it's not that. I mean you are correct. He hasn't seemed to bother us except on the train but I've been watching him and it seems as though he isn't even here like he's sad. He even looks different if you ask me. He looks sick in fact."

Ron's jealously sparked. "Been paying close attention to Malfoy, eh?"

Much to Hermione's luck, Harry caught on. "Do you mean to say you agree with what I'm saying about him being," he lowered his voice, "a Death Eater?"

They entered the Gryffindor common room. "I'm just saying I think we should look further into him."

Ron scoffed at this. "You two are mad."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Draco roamed the corridors until he got the spot he desired. He closed his eyes and before him appeared a door that had not been there before; The Room of Requirement. He roamed around the room tossing a green apple in his right hand. Suddenly he stopped. He pulled a large curtain down to reveal a cabinet much like the one he saw in Borgin and Burke's. He ran a trembling hand over the cabinet.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I had to admit I thought I was going to miss that last one." Ron was sitting on the couch of the Gryffindor common room, bragging about making the Gryffindor Quidditch team as Keeper. Harry and Hermione sat on the floor below him, ignoring his chatter. "Hope McLaggen's not taking it too hard. He's kind of got a thing for you, Hermione."

She was irritated at the fact that Ron wasn't irritated at McLaggen but she carried on. "He's vile." She looked over at Harry who was, as usual, reading his potions book. "Harry,"

But before she could yell at him for keeping his potions book, he interrupted her, "I think I have a plan."

Hermione and Ron both looked at him, confused. Hermione had some idea what he was speaking of. "You mean for Malfoy."

"Yes." He climbed up on the couch, as did Hermione, and looked around to see if anyone was in the room. Luckily, everyone had already gone off to bed.

Ron was impatient. "Well what is it?"

Harry took a deep breath and stared into the fire, "I don't think either of you are going to like it." They both looked at him longingly. He stood and placed his forearm on the mantle, leaning his head on his hand. "I think we need an inside view of what's happening with him and I'm not talking about Polyjuice potion. We need someone he can open up to and tell all his secrets to, someone who's on our side and who can tell us everything he says and does." He hesitated, but the looks on his best friend's faces told him to continue. "Hermione, I think you should seduce Draco Malfoy."

**Thanks for reading. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for the reviews/alerts/favs. It's much appreciated. Enjoy Chapter 2.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

"WHAT?" Hermione and Ron both gasped as they stood.

"Bloody hell, Harry you really are barking." Ron continued.

"I know but I think it's the only way to really know what's going on with him."

"I'm sorry Harry I just don't think I can do that." Hermione said bashfully.

"Hermione, we'll be there every step of the way. We can figure out a way for you to call for us if he tries to hurt you and we'll be able to stop him from whatever he's trying to do." Harry pleaded.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT! HARRY ITS MALFOY. YOU'RE WILLING TO THROW HERMIONE IN THE SNAKE PIT FOR WHAT? EVEN IF HE IS A DEATH EATER WHAT IS GETTING INFORMATION OUT OF HIM GOING TO DO?" Ron was furious at his best friend and the fact that he was overprotective of Hermione didn't help either.

"Ronald, be quiet." Hermione didn't want anyone to hear this private conversation. She turned to Harry. "Seduce him? As in?"

Harry sighed. "As in get him to trust you by throwing yourself at him, yes."

"Harry I will not! You know me better than that and I must agree with Ronald. It's Malfoy. You know if it was anyone else I would do it for you but he, he hates me and he always will. I'm just a filthy mudblood to him. He'd never look twice at me that way." She covered herself with her arms instinctively.

Ron scoffed. "Don't call yourself that."

"I know you're right. I'm sorry for even thinking about putting you in harm's way, Hermione." Harry hugged her.

"We'll find a way to figure out what he's up to I promise." Hermione smiled at him and then headed up to the girls dormitories.

Ron glared at Harry before leaving him alone in the empty common room with his thoughts.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Professor McGonagall looked at the blue encrusted necklace, curiously. "You're sure Katie didn't have this when she went into the Three Broomsticks?"

A small dark haired girl replied. "Like I said when she came out of the bathroom she had it and said it was important for her to deliver it to Professor Dumbledore." Then she was dismissed.

McGonagall turned to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Why is it that when there's trouble you three seem to be in the middle of it?"

"I've been asking myself that for three years now." Ron openly stated.

"Oh Severus, please come."

Snape entered the room and the two teachers looked at the necklace.

Harry spoke up. "She was cursed wasn't she? I know Katie. Off the Quidditch pitch she wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Yes she was cursed." McGonagall confirmed.

"It was Malfoy." Harry spoke very confidently.

"That is a very serious accusation Mr. Potter."

Snape looked at him devilishly, "A very serious one indeed and how do you know this?"

Harry shrugged. "I just know."

"You just know?" Snape asked.

They left the room and headed towards their common room. Harry and Ron sat on the couch while Hermione nervously lingered.

"I know it was Malfoy." Harry repeated.

"I know Malfoy is a demented bloke, but do you really think he'd curse Katie?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded and looked at Hermione curiously until she turned towards him. "I'll do it."

Harry stood, knowing immediately what she was talking about. "Are you sure?"

She nodded, "Yes. I believe you when you say you think it was Malfoy who cursed her and if it is true then he really is up to something serious and we have to stop him so I'll do it. I'll become close to Malfoy."

"WHAT?" Ron stood.

"Ronald."

"No, you two do what you have to do, but don't call me when he threatens you or calls you mudblood and rejects you."

"Ron!" Harry interjected, but it was too late. He had already stormed out of the common room. He turned to Hermione who had unshed tears in her eyes and he gave her a hug. "I promise we're doing the right thing and as for Ron, he'll come around. He'll always be there for you no matter what he says."

She nodded her head. Honestly she was scared. How was she supposed to get arrogant, muggle born hater, pureblood Slytherin, Draco Malfoy to fall for her? It seemed impossible to her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Well that was lovely." Hermione said in a slight sarcastic tone as she and Harry left Slughorn's dinner party.

"I felt odd, being at a table with so many Slytherins." Harry replied.

"Speaking of Slytherins." Hermione nudged Harry. When he looked up he saw Malfoy crossing their path in another hallway.

He turned towards her. "I'd call it an opportunity. Are you ready?" She swallowed and he could tell she was nervous but still, she nodded her head. "Remember if at any point you need help, your DA coin is charmed to contact me only." She nodded her head once again. He laughed and noticed he was getting a strange look from her. "Well it's probably time you stop "accidently" running into him in the hallways anyways." They both laughed remembering the past couple of days.

_The first time had truly been an accident. Hermione rounded the corner and bumped into the one person she really didn't want to, knocking her flat on her bum. Malfoy. She thought he might snap at her and tell her to move but instead he just walked away, granted he didn't help her up but she hadn't expected him to. She was honestly surprised. _

_The next time she "bumped" into him they were alone and again, she ended up on the floor due to his strong, tall build. When he walked away this time she could have sworn she heard him mutter, "Sorry." However, she convinced herself that it must have been her imagination. _

_The third time it happened was just after class when everyone surrounded them in the hallway. This time he reacted in more of a Slytherin way. _

"_Get out of my way, mudblood." When he said it, she thought he looked sad and distracted like he usually did. _

"Ok. Here goes nothing." She took a deep breath and pulled down her shirt.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked, panicked.

"It's Draco Malfoy, Slytherin Sex God. He doesn't want Modest Me. He likes you know those types of girls." She tapped her wand to her hair, making it straight and much sleeker than before. Then tapped her wand to her face, adding more make up.

"Hermione you don't have to defile yourself. I mean you look great," His eyes wandered to her chest. He then shook his head realizing what he had just done, "but really."

"Harry if I'm going to do this I have to do it will full force." He nodded and gave her a hug. She took another deep breath and headed in Malfoy's direction.

**Thanks for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow. Let's just say it's nice to wake up and find 16 or so emails from FanFiction. Thanks so much for reviewing. Enjoy Chapter 3. **

Draco stopped in front of a bird cage and opened it.

"What are you doing?" Hermione shouted at him.

He released the bird when she shouted, jumping. She took peculiar notice of this. "It's none of your business." She also noticed he looked her up and down. She smiled inside at this fact but was also embarrassed.

"It is actually. I'm a prefect remember?"

"Yes you frequently remind everyone." At his comment, she realized she'd been too bossy and needed to lighten up.

"I-I just wanted to make sure you weren't in harm's way." She started walking towards him.

"Why do you care what happens to me, Granger?" He started walking away and she hurriedly followed him.

"I've j-just noticed you seemed distracted lately." She had a hard time keeping up with his long stride, so she was thankful when he abruptly stopped and turned around, mere inches from her. She gulped thinking he would snap at her but instead he looked down at her chest once more, sneered, and walked away. She felt uncomfortable, but was persistent so she called out to him. "Draco."

It wasn't demanding or bossy, as she usually said it. Instead it was soft and even a bit seductive she had to admit. She was proud when it made him stop. He didn't turn around so she walked towards him. She put a hand on his shoulder, which again he jumped at, and made her way in front of him. "Tell me what's wrong, Draco." She used the same voice as before. She had never been this nervous.

He opened his mouth to say something but then shut it quickly. His eyes had begun to water but he never released tears. He looked at her hand on his shoulder and turned to walk away but she grabbed his hand before he could get away. "Please." She pleaded.

She felt like he was about to say something again but he shook her off and muttered, "Stupid mudblood." And walked away.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What the hell was that?" Draco thought. Not only had Hermione used his first name and acted like she actually cared about him, but he almost let her in. He headed back to the Slytherin common room. He wondered why she was so concerned about him and why she had looked like that. He thought she actually looked, dare he say it, attractive. He had to admit, he did feel awfully lonely these days, but that was his own fault he knew. He had to stay focused. He couldn't let anything like girls distract him. He had been given a mission. He had been chosen and he would not fail like his father had.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So how'd it go?" Harry nearly pounced on Hermione when she walked back into the Gryffindor common room.

"It went well actually." She then proceeded to tell him everything that happened between her and Malfoy.

"Wow, Hermione. I'm so proud of you. I didn't know you had it in you. You're quite the actress."

She smiled, "Thanks."

"So he really almost started to cry?" She shook her head. "I think it was a good start but we need to work fast. Whatever he's up to he's clearly already taking action."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ron, in almost full Quidditch gear walked into the Great Hall and sat across from Hermione and Harry.

"So how was it then?"

"How was what?" Hermione sat down her paper.

"You're dinner party." Ron spat.

"Pretty boring actually, though I think Harry enjoyed dessert." Hermione snickered and Harry blushed. "Slughorn's having a Christmas party and we're meant to bring someone."

"I suggest you'll be bringing McLaggen then or perhaps Malfoy." Ron still wasn't fond of their plan.

Hermione was appalled. If only he knew her true feelings. "Actually I was going to ask you."

A dreamy voice that belonged to Luna Lovegood appeared. "You look dreadful Ron. Is that why you slipped something in his drink? Is it a tonic?"

Harry slipped a vile into his pocket.

They all realized what he had done. "Liquid Luck. Don't drink it Ronald." Ron downed his drink and she turned to Harry. "You could be expelled for that."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Harry shook his head.

Ron stood confident. "Let's go Harry. We've got a match to win."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"WEASLEY! WEASLEY! WEASLEY!" The Gryffindor's shouted as the after party in celebration of their win continued.

"You really shouldn't have done it you know." Hermione said while standing next to Harry.

"You're right. I suppose I could have used a Confundus charm." Harry smartly remarked.

Hermione was utterly surprised and a little embarrassed. "That was tryouts. This was different." Harry pulled out the full vile. "You didn't put it in. Ron only thought you did." Harry nodded proudly.

Suddenly Lavender Brown pulled Ron down and started snogging him senseless. Hermione felt like she had just been stabbed and immediately retreated from the room.

She needed to be somewhere where no one could find her. She headed towards the dungeons and found an abandoned stairway. Her heart suddenly broke into what felt like a thousand pieces and she immediately started to cry.

Suddenly she heard footsteps coming towards her but didn't even bother to wipe her face clean.

"Granger?"

She looked up to see Malfoy and instantly cursed herself for coming near the dungeons looking like she did.

"Malfoy I don't need your insults right now." She sniffed, still sitting on the stairwell.

"Not crying over Weaselbee are you?"

She rolled her eyes, _"Is it really that obvious?"_ She thought to herself.

He scoffed. "You could do much better than that ginger."

She snapped her head up about to yell at him for insulting Ron but then she realized, he had just paid her a compliment. "I'm sorry?"

"Well I just mean, it's Weasley. Anyone can do better than him." He tried to fix what he had said.

"Ronald is my friend."

"Yeah clearly not a good one."

"_Why was he being so nice to her?"_ She thought but then decided she could use it to her advantage. "You're probably right."

He snapped his head up not believing that she had agreed with him. "I have something that can help you."

That was too much for her. He had actually offered to help her. "I'm sorry; did you just offer to help me?"

He sat down next to her and she almost scooted away out of instinct but then remembered what she was supposed to be doing. He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"A flask?" She inquired. "Does this have alcohol in it?"

"Shhh. Bloody hell Granger just drink it."

"No. What if you poisoned it?"

He took it from her and swallowed a big swig. "There. Satisfied?"

"No. I don't drink." She said shyly. He cocked his head at her as if to say, "Really?"

"I should have known." He stood.

Realizing she was losing a good chance, she called out, "Wait." She took the flask from him and gulped it down. She coughed afterwards, handing him back the flask. "What was that? It tastes awful."

"Firewhiskey."

She wiped her mouth. "Ugh." She made a disgusted face that he laughed at.

She looked at him, shocked. In six years she had never heard him laugh unless it was at her and her friends.

"Want another?" He held the flask up to her.

Knowing she shouldn't, but thinking of the plan, she took the flask and chugged some more. She handed it back to him and he also took a drink. They did this a few times until she realized something. "It doesn't feel like it's getting any lighter."

"That's because it's charmed to refill." He smirked.

"Clever." She noted.

"I know I am." He smirked again.

They sat on the steps and continued their game.

"So why are you drinking?" She asked, hoping to get some information out of him.

He hesitated. "Helps with the loneliness I guess."

"There are other things to help with that as well." She said in her unusually seductive voice again. She took another drink.

**Thanks for reading. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks again guys! Enjoy Chapter 4.**

A few hours and a lot of firewhiskey later, she started to feel dizzy. She had hoped she'd get him drunk enough so that he'd spill all of his secrets to her but she ended up being the one drunk.

She heard herself giggling wildly. "W-well I should p-probably get b-back." She stood as did he but when she started to walk, she toppled over. Luckily, Draco had caught her before she went face first on the bricks.

They shared an awkward moment just staring at each other until he released her.

"Um I really need to get back." Hermione started to walk off.

"Um isn't your common room that way?" He pointed in the opposite direction of where she was headed.

She smiled, embarrassed and begun walking in the direction he was pointing, up the stairs.

"Are you sure you're okay enough to walk?"

She turned on her current stair back towards him, "Draco Malfoy, concerned about little ole me?" She giggled. "Even having a drink with Mudblood Granger. What would everyone say?" She slowly made her way back down to him. When she did, she was standing directly in front of him, almost touching him. "This isn't like you Draco. Why haven't you insulted me? What's going on with you?" She ran her fingers up his chest.

"Just lonely I suppose," was all he gave her.

"I can help with that." She smiled up at him. It wasn't just the firewhiskey talking now. She knew what she had to do even if she didn't like it.

He looked down at her curiously. He would love to shag, even if it was a mudblood and even if she wasn't in the right mind and even if she is Hermione Granger. "I…"

"You what, Draco? Have somewhere to be? Something to do? Tell me what is it Draco? Where are you when you're skipping classes? Tell me why do you look sick? Why do you have black circles around your eyes like you haven't slept in weeks? What's keeping you up at night?" She ran a hand through his hair.

"It's him." She was shocked. She hadn't expected it to work. "He keeps me up at night. He wants me to fix…" He trailed off.

"Fix what?" She pulled his head closed to hers and just when she thought he was falling into temptation, he ran away.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Was I under the impression he and I would attend Slughorn's Christmas party together? Yes. Now given the circumstances, I've had to make other arrangements." Hermione and Harry were in the library putting away books and she kept going on about Ron and Lavender.

"Have you?" Harry inquired.

"Yes, why?"

"Well I figured since neither of us had anyone to go with, we could go as friends."

"Why didn't I think of that?" She suddenly felt stupid.

"Who are you going with?"

She became nervous. "Um it's a surprise. Anyways it's you we've got to worry about. You can't just take anyone. See that girl over there? That's Romilda Vane. Apparently she's trying to smuggle you love potion." She caught him staring and snapped at him. "Hey! She only wants you because she thinks you're the chosen one."

"But I am the chosen one." Harry sniggered. She hit him with a book. "Okay sorry, kidding. I'll ask someone I like. Someone cool."

"I've been meaning to tell you something, Harry."

He looked at her, concerned, "Are you alright?"

"It's about Malfoy." He nodded at her to continue. "After the last Quidditch game, during the after party, I ran out because of well you know," he shook his head in understanding, "Well I was headed for the dungeons and I found an abandoned stairwell. I was sort of crying when Malfoy found me and he didn't bother to insult me. Anyways, well he sort of offered me some firewhiskey and thinking I could get him drunk enough to tell me things, I went along with it, but the plan kind of backfired when I drank too much."

Harry's eyes bulged. "He didn't?"

"No. If anything I was the one…"

"What?" Harry was surprised.

"Well that is the plan. Anyways, I almost had him. He mentioned something about a man that kept him up at night and how this man wanted him to fix something, but then he ran away before he told me anything else."

"It's Voldemort. The man who keeps him up at night and who wants him to fix something is You-Know-Who. That's it. He's a Death Eater. I'm sure of it now."

"Yes but we knew that already. The point is what is he trying to fix for him?"

"I don't know."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Slughorn's party was quite a hit. Harry looked in the corner and saw Hermione hiding behind a curtain. He made his way over.

"Hermione what are you doing? And what happened to you?" He noticed her hair was all messy and she looked disturbed.

"I've just escaped. I left Cormac under the mistletoe." She managed to breathe.

"Cormac? That's who you invited?"

"I thought it would annoy Ron the most. Oh god here he comes." She snuck out the other side of the curtain.

Harry offered Cormac dragon balls which ended up with him throwing up on Snape's shoes.

Then the doors burst open.

"Ugh, keep your filthy hands off of me you squib!" Draco cursed at Filch who was dragging him in.

Harry and Hermione shared a glance as did Draco and Hermione.

Filch spoke, "Caught this one in an upper corridor. Says he was invited to your party."

"Okay okay I was gate crashing, happy?" Draco seemed panicked for the first time.

"I'll escort him out." Snape stepped in.

"Certainly, Professor." Draco tore his arm away from Filch.

And they left.

"Maybe I did hex that Bell girl, maybe I didn't."

"I swore to protect you. I made the unbreakable vow." Snape threw Draco against a wall.

"I don't need protection for this. I was chosen for this. Me out of all others. I was chosen."

"You are afraid, Draco. Please, let me assist you."

"No. I was chosen." Draco spat back.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cormac was escorting Hermione away from Slughorn's party and she was under the impression they were headed back to her common room.

"You look beautiful tonight." Cormac paid her a compliment.

Trying to be polite she answered, "Thank you." She looked up from her feet and realized she had no idea where she was, "Um Cormac where are we?" Wherever they were, it was cold and she assumed they were near the dungeons.

He didn't say anything. Instead, he pushed her against the wall and started snogging her. She tried to push him away but he wasn't budging and she was trapped. "Come on, Hermione. You wouldn't have asked me to the party if you didn't like me." He started kissing her again.

"Stop it. Cormac, stop it." She said against his lips. She was purely disgusted by him. For once she didn't know how she was going to get out of this situation. Her wand was in her purse which had fallen to the floor when she was shoved against the wall. Suddenly it came to her. Her DA coin was still charmed to contact Harry and luckily it was concealed in a small, hidden pocket of her dress. She reached in and rubbed the coin hoping he would be here soon.

Soon came sooner than she thought because suddenly Cormac was torn away from her and was punched in the face. At that he ran away, thankfully.

She suddenly realized that she was crying and breathing hard. She was terrified.

"Are you okay?"

The voice was not Harry like she had expected it to be.

She couldn't form words however, so she just nodded her head.

"You don't look okay. Need another drink of firewhiskey?" The voice laughed.

She looked up and smiled. "No I'm fine, Draco. Thank you." He shrugged. "Why did you do that? I mean why did you help me?"

"I hate McLaggen. I've wanted to punch him since he challenged me to one on one Quidditch. I beat him but he was convinced that I cheated."

"Imagine that." Hermione smirked, knowing that Slytherin's were known for cheating on the Quidditch pitch.

He looked her up and down, something he did a lot now she noticed. "Nice dress."

She patted it down, "Thank you." It still surprised her when he paid her a compliment.

He strode towards her and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and she blushed. He then heard footsteps. He took a quick look at her and ran away.

"Hermione, are you okay? My coin…" Harry hurried towards her and gave her a hug. "Was it Malfoy?"

"No, actually Draco saved me from Cormac who decided to drag me here and snog me senseless."

"Bloody hell Hermione."

"Don't worry I'm fine." She inhaled deeply.

"Well at least you know we're making progress with Malfoy." She nodded her head in agreement.

**Thanks for reading.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks so much for your reviews and adding this story to your alerts/favs. It's very much appreciated. I hope you really like this one. Enjoy Chapter 5.**

Sitting in the Gryffindor common room, Harry was explaining to Ron and Hermione what he heard between Draco and Snape.

"An unbreakable vow? You're sure that's what Snape said?" Ron asked.

"Positive." Harry reassured. "Why?"

"It's just you can't break an unbreakable vow." Ron didn't realize how obvious his statement was.

"I-I worked that much out for myself." Harry replied sarcastically.

Ron shook his head. "I don't understand."

"So what happens to you? What happens to you if you break an unbreakable vow?" Harry was curious.

Ron took a deep breath. "You die."

"Come along every one. It's time to aboard the train back to London for the holidays." McGonagall's voice rang throughout the room.

The three friends stood and Ron turned to Hermione, "You sure you won't come with us?"

She turned to Harry so that he could explain, "Well we're aware that Malfoy is staying this break and so we thought it would be a good opportunity for Hermione to keep up with the plan."

"You two are still up to that?"

Hermione looked at her feet.

Harry sighed, "I'll tell you everything that's happened on the train, mate. Come on, we don't want to miss it."

They each gave Hermione a hug and headed out with their luggage.

"I'll owl you!" She yelled after Harry, who nodded in return.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On the train, Harry attempted to explain everything to Ron about what has happened with Hermione and Malfoy.

"Firewhiskey? Is she barking? She never drinks."

"I know but she thought she could get information out of him that way and she did. We know for sure that he's working for Voldemort and that he's fixing something."

"How do you know it was You-Know-Who he was talking about? How do you know it wasn't his father?"

"It just makes sense Ron."

"So what is Hermione and yours plan for the break? Is she finally going to give into him?" Ron said sadistically.

"Ron, she's in control of her actions. He's the one we're trying to get into a trap. She won't do anything she's not comfortable with. Have a little faith in your best friends, will you?"

"I just don't like Malfoy and don't think he's that big of a deal."

"Well it'd be nice to have your support. Hermione needs to know you'll be there for her."

"We both know I will. You two are my best friends."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next night, Hermione was eating dinner in the Great Hall while watching Draco across the room. He had barely touched his food and his head was propped up on his hand. He met her eyes and she immediately looked away, embarrassed. The next time she dared to look up at him, he was leaving. She hurriedly gathered her belongings and followed him out.

He was in a hurry, it seemed. He finally reached his destination which was a bathroom. Hermione wondered why he would want to go into this bathroom. It was, after all, occupied by Moaning Myrtle. Then she heard voices.

"Oh Draco, you poor poor boy."

"No one understands." This was Draco's voice she recognized.

"You can talk to me." Giggling came after this. It was a woman speaking.

For a moment, Hermione thought he was having a conversation with Moaning Myrtle. She fixed her hair and her make up then adjusted her blouse and skirt. She walked confidently into the bathroom.

"Draco?" She called.

He turned towards her and sure enough she saw Moaning Myrtle floating high above him.

"What's she doing here?" Myrtle cried.

"I-I just heard voices and wanted to make sure everything was okay." Hermione said innocently.

Draco seemed to just be staring at her. Myrtle quickly flew over to her. "It's FINE!"

"Myrtle." Draco spat and cocked his head, telling her to leave.

"But Draco, we were talking."

"Now Myrtle." He demanded.

She wailed and flung herself into the toilet.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." She spoke sweetly. When he didn't reply she continued, "So you can talk to a dead mudblood but you can't talk to a living one?" She smirked.

"She just admires me."

"She admires every boy."

"She seems to care." He restated.

Hermione took a step closer. "I care."

Draco took notice to her particular tone of voice and the way she dressed. "Why is it they only time you're dressed like that is when you're around me?" He pointed towards her.

She looked down at herself, "Like what?"

"Well you hair is all not bushy and your eyes and your clothes…" he trailed off.

"I always look like this." She tried to play it cool.

"No you don't." He denied her.

"So you've noticed how I've looked, have you?" She smirked again, something she realized she'd gotten from him.

He rolled his eyes. "Come back for more firewhiskey, have you?" He sat down on the steps to the bathtub and pulled out his flask.

She laughed and sat next to him, "No. I came back to finish our conversation."

"What conversation?"

"You know the one."

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you are talking about." He stood and wouldn't face her.

"Draco, tell me what you have to fix."

He spun towards her. "Why? So you can go back and tell Potter?"

Her heart started to beat fast and she tried to tell herself that it was just a general accusation. "No so I can help you." She touched his arm again.

"No one can help me! Don't you see? No one can help me." He was now shouting at her.

"Yes I can if you would just let me!"

"Why would I want a mudblood's help?"

She stepped away from him. With tears forming in her eyes, she ran out of the bathroom.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning she woke up and decided to write Harry.

_Dear Harry, _

_How are things at the Burrow? They aren't going to well here with Draco. I followed him into a bathroom and it ended with him calling me a mudblood. Old habits die hard, eh? Anyways I was just wondering if you had any ideas. Oh and how are things going with Ginny? Tell Ron I said hello._

_Love, Hermione_

She put on her jacket and scarf and headed towards the owlery to send her letter off. She didn't expect to bump into anyone, but she did and would have fallen down the slippery stairs if it weren't for the other person catching her.

"Sorry." She muttered when she realized who it was. She tried to get past Draco but he wouldn't let her by.

He simply stared into her eyes for a moment until he slipped past her. She took a deep breath and made her way into the owlery and sent off her letter.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A few days passed and nothing else had happened with Draco. Hermione heard a tapping on her window and hurriedly got off her bed to retrieve it. She opened it up to discover it was from Harry.

_Hermione, _

_Merlin's beard! I'm sorry that Draco said that word to you again and I'm sorry things aren't going well. But I do actually have an idea. I've been watching him on the map and he reaches a wall and then just disappears. I think he's going into the Room of Requirement. I'm not sure but you could follow him there and see what happens. As for Ginny, nothing big has happened. We were talking on the couch once but Ron came and made things awkward of course. I'll be sure to tell everyone you said hello. Let me know how the Room of Requirement works out._

_Love, Harry_

She sighed inwardly. She would have to keep an even closer eye on him if she wanted to follow him to a specific location. Then she decided she would just wait for him by the Room of Requirement. She gathered a book and a blanket and made her way down.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She had been reading for what felt like ages when she heard footsteps. She looked up from her hidden spot to see Draco, rushing to the empty wall. He stood there for a second until a large door appeared. He made his way in and before the door shut, she slipped in right behind him.

She looked at the room in amazement. It was filled to the ceiling with junk. She tried to follow him but she also tried to stay hidden.

He made his way over to a large object covered with some sort of blanket. He pulled it off and sighed deeply. He thought of Hermione and in a way he wished he would have taken her help but then realized what that would have meant.

When he revealed the cabinet Hermione gasped.

Draco turned quickly. "Who's there?"

She cursed herself for being so stupid. She cursed herself even more when she knocked over a table.

He rushed towards the noise, wand raised and was surprised to find Hermione cowering.

"I-I'm sorry. I just I-I…"

"What are you doing here? Get up! Leave!"

She stood immediately. "Draco,"

"What are you doing in here?" He was frightened. How had she found him? Did she know he was trying to mend the vanishing cabinet? He was starting to sweat.

She had been caught and didn't know what to do. Her grip on her wand tightened as she thought out what to say. Oh I was sitting outside for hours waiting on you? Me and Harry are trying to figure out what you're up to? Finally it hit her. There was nothing to say. No lie to make up. She couldn't curse him. That would be counterproductive. So she did the only thing she could think of that stuck to the plan.

She slowly made her way over to him and put her hand on his wand arm and lowered it.

"W-what are you doing? I said l-leave." He asked in a shaky voice.

She put her body against his and looked up into his eyes. She placed her small, soft hand on the back of his neck and pulled it down slightly. She stood on her tip toes and she kissed him.

**Finally some real Dramione action! Thanks for reading.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for reviewing. Warning: Slightly mature content but it's really not bad at all. Enjoy Chapter 6.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

_Harry, _

_The Room of Requirement worked! I'll tell you everything when you get back. There's loads to discuss. _

_Hermione_

It had been three days since she had kissed him in the Room of Requirement. She was surprised at her own actions and even more surprised at Draco's reaction. He had kissed her back. This thought made her smile internally, though she wasn't quite sure why.

The kiss had been quite interesting. She felt so alive in that moment and she was sure it was because she was doing something she knew she wasn't supposed to. When the kiss had ended she felt guilty for everything she was doing. She was, after all manipulating someone's feelings.

Though she was excited when he didn't immediately pull away when she started kissing him, it hadn't gotten her where she thought it would. She decided that she was under the wrong impression. Granted, she had kissed him on the spot, but she still assumed that from the kiss he would want more from her. However, all she'd gotten in the past three days was a mere smile from across the Great Hall.

It wasn't until she was leaving breakfast that morning that something more happened. Books in hand, she was abruptly pulled into a small broom closet. Her heart started beating fast and she immediately raised her wand, thinking it could be another run in with McLaggen.

"Relax, Granger."

She was immediately comforted by his silky voice. "Draco, you frightened me."

"I needed to talk to you."

"So you had to drag me into a dark closet to do so?"

"No I only pulled you in here to tell you to meet me in the Astronomy Tower tonight at midnight."

"That's after curfew." She said in her usual bossy tone.

He was annoyed at her ways. "Granger, do you want to talk or not?"

She took a deep breath. "Astronomy Tower at midnight it is then. Is that all?"

She could feel him take a step towards her even though she couldn't see him. He leaned in close to her nearly touching her lips and whispered, "Yes." Then he was gone.

"_He's good."_ She thought. He had made her actually think she wanted another kiss. She scoffed at the thought.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Before heading up to the Astronomy Tower, she once again addressed her looks. She made her hair straight and sleek again, though she preferred her curls. It would be cold on the tower therefore she couldn't dress too inappropriate. She slipped on her tightest pair of jeans and boots and decided that if she couldn't show off her chest she'd have to take other measures, so she didn't bother to put on a bra at all. She didn't like the idea; in fact she felt dirty and knew she'd end up covering herself anyways. She put on a white, long sleeve shirt, a jacket, and a Gryffindor colored scarf. To tip it all off, she fixed her makeup.

At 11:55 p.m. she headed towards the tower.

It was snowing hard and she instantly regretted not wearing more layers.

When she entered the tower, Draco was leaning over one of the rails and hadn't noticed her presence. She took this as an opportunity.

Hermione slowly and quietly made her way over to Draco and placed a gentle hand on his back. He jumped which made her curious. When he turned towards her to take notice of her she saw his eyes widen slightly and saw another opportunity. She kissed him again, but this time he pulled away.

He groaned. "You can't keep doing that." He stumbled backwards and turned away.

"Why not?" She used her seductive tone.

"Because you're Hermione Granger. I'm Draco Malfoy."

"And?" She knew the answer to all her questions.

"We hate each other! I don't like you. You're a-a-a…" He trailed off.

She suddenly became angry and her feelings became real. She knew what he was about to say. "Say it." She spat out at him.

"I can't."

"Say it, Draco!" She was now shouting at him.

"No."

She inched her way over towards him. "Tell me what I am Draco. Tell me what runs through my veins." She pulled out her wand.

"What are you doing?" He finally faced her.

He was shocked when she drew a line across her wrist and blood started trickling out. She shoved her wrist towards him. "Tell me what this is, Draco." Tears fell from her eyes now and he could tell she was hurt.

She wasn't quite sure what reaction she was going to get out of him but she didn't really care. There was too much anger built up inside of her.

"I won't call you that word."

"You've never had trouble with it before." She spat back.

He snatched her bloody wrist and she gasped. Then he wiped her tears with his free hand.

When her face was clean he pulled out his wand and pointed it towards his wrist, cutting it as she had. Before she knew what he was doing, he rubbed their crimson stained wrist together.

He stopped suddenly and stared at her.

"W-why did you just do that?" She was truly shocked. What was wrong with him? Did he really just dirty his pure blood with her own?

He walked past her and leaned back over the rail. He hung his head and closed his eyes before he started to speak again, "I've seen things. Things you can't even imagine. I've seen people killed and tortured; people like you." He turned his head towards her and she noticed he was crying. "He," he stopped and closed his eyes once more, "they, they all believe these things and I'm supposed to believe them too. I suppose I've always believed them really but now, I don't know, I guess after seeing a person tortured to death for no reason changes things."

"Draco, you don't have to believe anything you don't want to."

"See that's the thing! I do. Don't you see," he took her shoulders in his hands, "don't you see? I'll be killed if I don't believe that stuff. I'll be killed if I don't…"

"You don't what?" He didn't say anything. "Draco," She removed some fringe from his eyes and smiled, "You can talk to me. What harm can come of it?"

"That's what you don't understand."

"Then tell me. Explain it to me." She moved her body closer to him and realized he was shivering. "You're freezing. Here." She took her scarf off and threw it over him. Then she took her jacket off and placed it on his shoulders, knowing it wouldn't fit his tall, muscular build. She noticed he was staring down at something. "Draco, what's wrong?" She looked down and her cheeks immediately turned red and she covered herself.

He sniffed and wiped his nose. Then he laughed and she looked up at him in shock. "Looks like I'm not the only one who's cold."

She smiled still covering herself. "I…" She was too embarrassed to say anything.

"Here." He slipped her jacket back on her and she was surprised at his kindness. She had expected him to take advantage.

"Um, thank you." He only nodded in reply and sat down on a step. She followed and to her surprise he placed an arm around her. "I understand."

"What do you mean?"

"I understand that you don't want me kissing you." She was being honest now. "I get it. You're Draco Malfoy. I'm Hermione Granger. It's just not right. We hate each other."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Despite the fact that they both admitted their hate for each other, they continued to meet in the Astronomy Tower every night at midnight to talk and nothing more.

She got to hear gruesome stories that kept her up and night and was sure that they had the same effect on him. One almost made her vomit and she came to realize why he was being so nice to her now.

Even someone as cruel as Malfoy can change and honestly what kind of person wouldn't change after going through what he had been through.

She had to admit that she was slightly afraid of him. She heard stories of how he tortured people. He had even been ordered to kill a young Muggle girl. At first she was skeptical about all his stories. Why hadn't he said no? However, the more she thought about it the more she came to understand how hard it would be to say no to the most powerful dark wizard of all times, especially if he wouldn't hesitate to kill you and your family.

In their meetings he had even asked about her parents and she was honestly happy to tell him about them.

She was slightly disappointed that she hadn't gotten any definitive information out of him. She knew that when Harry came back and found out they'd been meeting every night, he'd expect some answers. She was certain that he was a Death Eater and working for Voldemort. She suspected that what he was ordered to fix was a vanishing cabinet but she wasn't sure why.

One night after getting back to her temporarily empty bedroom from a meeting with Draco, she heard a tapping on her window. Instead of an owl like she had suspected, she saw someone on a broom.

"Draco?" She could see him mouth the words, "Let me in." She immediately opened the window and Draco flew in and easily stepped off his broom. "What are you doing, Draco? You could get expelled."

"Always a stickler for the rules." He scoffed.

"What are you doing here?"

He held his broom. "Want to join me for a ride?"

Her eyes widened. She hated heights and was absolutely terrified of flying. "I-I have some homework I need to finish before tomorrow."

"Granger, we both know that's a lie. Whatever homework is due tomorrow, you've had done for a week now." She blushed. "Wait, are you afraid of flying?"

"No." She lied.

"Know it all Granger doesn't like to fly. Priceless."

"I'm not afraid to fly!"

"Prove it." He sat on his broom waiting for her to join him. She timidly walked over to him, biting her lip. She gripped the broom with trembling hands and swung a foot over placing herself in front of him. She molded nicely to his muscular body. "Do you trust me?" He whispered in her ear.

"Yes." She answered honestly and with that they took off out of the window into the starry night.

**Thanks for reading. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you for reviewing. Enjoy Chapter 7.**

For Hermione, the broom ride was exhilarating. Since the first time she'd sat on a broom, she felt safe.

For Draco, the broom ride felt like it normally did for him. He felt calm and relaxed under the stars with the wind blowing in his face. Something about it was different though. Maybe it was the company or perhaps it was the smell of her hair that kept napping at his face. It smelt like vanilla and was warm and inviting.

He went for a ride almost every night and wasn't sure why he had decided to invite Hermione along with him this time. Maybe it was because she was the only person he could talk to. She was his only friend.

After about a half an hour, it had started to rain on them and they flew back in through Hermione's bedroom window and hopped off the broom, soaking wet.

She laughed, "Well that certainly was fun." She went to turn on the light to her bathroom, then opened her dresser, took out a new shirt, and headed back to the bathroom, stripping her layers as she went.

He watched her slowly cross the room in awe. She faced away from him and ripped off her final shirt and unhooked her bra. She slid a dry, clean shirt over her head and turned back towards him.

He realized his heart was beating fast and for the first time he was flustered in front of a girl.

Hermione tucked a strand of hair that had fallen out of her messy bun behind her ear. "Um well thanks for taking me out though I'm not really sure why you did it." She half laughed.

"Listen, I just I want to," he hesitated, trying to find the right words, "I don't have many people I can talk to these days besides you and I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate you, for listening to me."

"Wow, did Draco Malfoy just say thank you to me, Hermione Granger?" She smirked.

"I suppose so."

"You really have changed."

"It's just these days, you're my only friend, as pathetic as that sounds." He looked down, embarrassed.

"You consider me a friend?" She asked.

"Well yeah. You're the only one I trust. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because you dared to talk to me when no one else did." He lingered around her room to her dresser and picked up a moving picture of her, Ron, and Harry from first year.

"You can stay here if you'd like." She mumbled.

He snapped his head towards her. "What?" He was sure he misinterpreted her.

"I just mean," she cleared her throat, "It's raining outside and all my roommates left for Christmas so I have four empty beds."

"Hermione Granger inviting a boy into her bedroom? What will people think? They certainly wouldn't call you a prude anymore." He looked toward the ceiling.

"I am not a prude!" She gasped.

"Hermione," He cocked his head.

"What did you just say?"

"Hermione?" He furrowed his brows.

"B-but you never call me that." She sat on her bed.

"Sure I do. That's your name. You call me Draco."

"I mean you only say it when you use my full name and that's when you're being sarcastic. I'm sorry. I'm being silly."

He knelt in front of her. "Well you're my friend now. I just thought it best if we were on a first name basis."

She let out of small laugh and nodded her head, "Of course."

He stood up and grabbed his broomstick. "I should probably head out."

She jumped up and walked over to him. "You won't stay?"

She was legitimately disappointed. She had come to enjoy talking to Draco. She was able to tell him things that she had never told anyone before, not even Ron and Harry. She knew it was the same for him as well.

"_So how are the Weaslbee and Potty doing?" Draco had asked one night on the Astronomy Tower._

"_Harry and Ron," she emphasized, "are well. They're at the Weasley's this Christmas."_

"_Yeah? And why aren't you there?" She shrugged. "Ah, still not over Weaslebee ,eh? _

_Her head shot up. Come to think of it, she was over Ron. Actually, she hadn't thought of him much since she'd become friends with Draco._

"_Actually, I haven't thought about him much at all lately." She scoffed. She then realized that Draco had subconsciously gotten her over Ron._

"I wouldn't want to ruin your reputation." He said sarcastically.

She placed her hand on his shoulder and ran it down his arm, "No one has to know." She couldn't help but think he looked attractive with his wet fringe in his eyes and his wet shirt clinging to his muscles. Her heart started to speed up and she retracted her hand quickly.

He put a hand to her cheek. She closed her eyes and he kissed her softly.

When she opened her eyes again, he was gone. She smiled.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When she woke up the next morning there were a bundle of presents at the foot of her bed. It was Christmas morning, how could she have forgotten?

She jumped out of bed and sat on the floor to open presents. There was a handmade scarf from Mrs. Weasley, a book on the history of famous witches from Harry, some chocolate frogs and other candies from Ron, joke products from Fred and George, and a new, very fashionable blouse from Ginny. And of course there was a plentiful amount of gifts from her mother and father that included presents from other members of her family. When she was done ripping through them all, she noticed a small green package with a silver ribbon on it that she had managed to overlook.

She picked it up and inspected it first. There was a small note attached to the present and she read it.

_Hermione,_

_I saw this and knew you'd appreciated it._

She noticed there was no name, but opened the present regardless. She gasped when she opened the green velvet box. There, on the soft material, lied a stunning silver bracelet. She picked it up and noticed something hanging from it: a curled up snake. She smiled and thought one thing: Draco. She then immediately snapped the bracelet on her wrist.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Later that night, Hermione couldn't wait to meet Draco at the Astronomy Tower. So excited in fact that she showed up an hour early. She came carrying Draco's Christmas gift. She had wanted to give it to him in person.

However, when midnight rolled around, he hadn't shown up. Then when 12:30 came, he still wasn't there.

Hermione was starting to get worried. What if something had happened to him? She waited around until 1:30 in the morning and finally decided that he wasn't coming.

She was sad and disappointed. She wanted to express thanks for her gift and see his reaction when he opened hers. She realized she was slightly angry that he hadn't told her he wasn't coming, so she placed the gift down where they usually sat and headed towards her common room.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next day in the Great Hall she was glad to see him alive and well, eating breakfast. But, he never would look at her and when he left the Great Hall he nearly ran out as if not to be followed, so she didn't.

She hoped to see him tonight in the tower with some sort of explanation, but when she got there at 12:10, he was not there. Instead she found a note where she had placed his gift. She picked it up and started reading.

_Hermione, _

_I don't think I can do this anymore. It's not right. It's not who we are. _

_Draco_

_P.S. Thank you for the book. I've never heard of Romeo and Juliet but I'll give it a try._

She was surprised at how quickly tears fell from her face. She was hurt. He gave her no explanation and she felt like she had just lost a friend.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Days passed and still no sign of Draco. She would see him in the Great Hall but nothing else. She began to worry about him. He was after all a Death Eater with a mission and she knew that's why he no longer spoke to her. He looked more sick and skinnier and her heart dropped every time she looked at him. His eyes were black again and she wondered if they were there because of the lack of sleep or if they were bruises. The thought made her sick to her stomach.

The holiday break was almost over and everyone would be returning to Hogwarts tomorrow. She was happy at the thought of having Harry and Ron by her side again. Everything would then go back to normal. Just her, Harry, and Ron going to class, studying, and no more Draco. It was a bittersweet thought. While she missed having Ron and Harry with her, she knew she would miss Draco as well. He had become a good friend, someone to talk to and she had to admit he was a good kisser.

**Thanks for reading.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you so much for the reviews/alerts/favs. Warning: Mature content. Enjoy Chapter 8.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

That night around ten o'clock Hermione had decided to go to the Astronomy Tower one last time. She felt calm there and it reminded her of Draco. She just needed to feel the way he made her feel one last time before everything went back to normal.

As she walked up the stairs she heard whimpering. Whoever it was sounded like they were in a great deal of pain so she rushed up the last few stairs and gasped at what she saw.

"Draco." She whispered. He looked up at her with big, wet eyes. He was on his knees, clenching his left arm. She rushed over to him but by the time she got to him he passed out.

She knew what was wrong with him and she didn't want rush him into the hospital. She decided to take him to her room but wasn't quite sure how to do so without being seen. That's when she saw his broom sitting in the corner.

She took a deep breath to muster up her courage and miraculously managed to balance herself and a passed out Draco on the broom.

When she reached her window she whispered, "Alohomora," and pushed through the glass and was happy to put her feet on the ground.

She levitated Draco onto her bed and started unbuttoning his shirt which had been soaked with melted snow. When she got done with his shirt she took his pants off which had been just as wet as his shirt. She then cast a warming spell on him, covered him with a blanket, and took a seat beside him on the bed.

She moved some hair away from his eyes and kissed his forehead. "Oh Draco, what have they done to you?" She ran her hand down his left arm and stopped when she got to black ink. She took another deep breath and ran her shaking hand completely over his Dark Mark.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Draco opened his eyes and immediately felt dizzy. He looked around the room and quickly realized where he was. He looked around the room for Hermione but she was nowhere to be seen.

At that moment a door opened and out walked Hermione with sopping wet hair and a towel wrapped around her. When she looked towards her bed she jumped and let out a slight gasp.

"Oh I-I didn't know you were awake." She managed to choke out.

He uncovered himself and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Um yeah. What happened?" He looked down and noticed he wasn't wearing any clothes. "You take advantage of me?" He let out a laugh.

She didn't say anything. She wasn't sure what to say. She'd thought about it plenty of times but never came to a conclusion. She decided she would explain what happened first. "Well I found you up in the tower and you, well you sounded and looked like you were in pain and then you passed out so I brought you here. You've only been out for about three hours."

"You didn't take me to the hospital wing?" He groaned as he got out of bed.

"No, I knew what was wrong with you." She said confidently.

"Did you now?" He began to walk over to her. Trying to avoid his tall, strong build coming towards her, she simply nodded her head yes. "And what did you conclude?"

"That You-Know-Who has been working you overtime." She snapped. She was still angry at him for not talking to her.

"I guess I owe you an explanation." He continued when she raised her eyebrows and nodded her head. "I just," he hesitated, "I saw us becoming closer. It was safer for us not to be friends. And you're right! Okay you're right. He gave me a mission and I have to do it. I have to kill him!"

Her mouth opened. "Draco, who are you going to kill?" He didn't reply. At first she thought of Harry but then knew that Voldemort wanted Harry for himself. Then it came to her. He was going to kill the one person Voldemort feared; the one person he couldn't kill himself because he didn't have access to him and Draco did. "D-dumbledore? Draco, you can't."

"I have to!" When she didn't reply, he changed the subject. "I'm a Death Eater and you are, are muggle born. You don't see anything wrong with that?"

"No Draco I don't. Maybe that's because I was raised not to be prejudice unlike some people."

"I understand that you're still upset with me but I was scared, okay?" He found himself saying things he never thought that he would admit to anyone.

"Of what, Draco?"

"That I was in love with you!" She straightened up her posture and let her mouth hang open in shock once more. "I'm in love with you." He said more softly.

With one long stride, his lips were on hers. It wasn't like their last three kisses had been. No. This kiss was filled with passion.

Hermione wasn't sure what to do but a few seconds later she didn't care.

It was only when he took her hands in his that she realized how tightly she had been gripping her towel. He rubbed his thumbs on the back of her hands, making her relax her hands and in return her towel fell to the floor.

Normally, Hermione would have never done this. She'd never been naked in front of a boy. She'd never let anyone touch her like he was touching her. The thing was, she wasn't scared and she didn't want to stop. So she led him back to the bed where he laid her down gently.

Moments later, they were one.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hermione woke up the next morning with Draco by her side. She quickly sat up remembering what had happened last night. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and started crying.

But she wasn't crying because she thought what she had done was a mistake. She was crying because she was in love with Draco Malfoy.

"Hermione?" She felt a cold hand on her back and it sent shivers down her spine. "Are you okay?"

She wiped her face quickly and turned around with a smile on her face. "Yes." Her smile quickly faded.

"You're worried aren't you?"

She nodded. "Draco, I'm sorry." She felt a wave of guilt pour over her. She really did care for Draco and didn't want him to get hurt especially because of her.

He sat up. "For what?"

There was a knock on her door and a voice came from the other side. "Hermione? Are you okay? It's two o'clock in the afternoon and I didn't see you at breakfast or lunch."

Two o'clock? She couldn't believe she'd slept until two. She got out of bed and slipped on a light purple silk robe that had been lying on the floor. "Um I'm fine. I just had a late night studying. I'll be at the feast when everyone gets back."

"Oh, okay. I'll see you then. Bye."

"Bye." She turned towards Draco.

"Who was that?"

"That was Dean." He gave her a questioning look. "Thomas? He's in our year. He's one of my good friends."

"Oh." He noticed a sad look coming across her face and walked over to her. "Hermione, it's going to be okay."

She looked up at him and noticed how hallowed out his face was. "Draco, you can't do this."

"You don't understand."

"Then please explain it to me."

He sighed. "He will make me kill my parents then he'll kill me. I have to do this Hermione."

She was surprised at how calm his voice was. "You don't understand what will come of this." She said shyly.

"You think I haven't thought about it? You think I want this? Well I don't. Unlike you, my fate was chosen for me. I didn't get the luxury of choosing things for myself." He said it a little harsher than he had meant it. He took her face in his hands. "I need you. I thought I could do this alone but I can't. I need you."

"I won't help you with this Draco."

"I'm not asking you to. I'm only asking you to be there for me like you have been."

She closed her eyes, releasing tears, and shook her head yes. "What about everyone else? They're not going to like it, us."

"No one has to know." He smiled, repeating a line she frequently used on him.

She laughed at this. "You should go. I need to shower and get ready for dinner tonight."

"I don't want to go." He kissed her, hands still on her face and he kissed her again and again and again.

"Draco,"

He ran over to the window, grabbed his broom, and jumped out the window.

"Draco!" Hermione ran over to the window only to see Draco flying towards her, "Oh you idiot."

He smiled. "Astronomy Tower, midnight."

"It's a date."

With that, he flew away. She closed her window, crawled in bed, and began to sob. She felt guilty for so many reasons. She couldn't tell Harry that Draco was planning to kill Dumbledore. It would completely break the new found trust they had for each other and she didn't want to do that because she loved him. But when Harry was to ask her what Draco had said she didn't want to lie to her best friend either. She knew she was in a lose-lose situation and she had to choose her death.

**It wasn't too graphic or detailed but I'm pretty positive you got the point. That's how I like to do those scenes. It keeps it classy or as classy as it can be anyways. Thanks for reading. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks as always. Enjoy Chapter 9.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

"Hermione!" A familiar voice called through the Great Hall.

Hermione turned in her seat to see Harry and Ron approaching. She stood up to give them both a hug and each took a seat beside her.

"How was your Christmas?" Harry asked her.

"It was wonderful. Thank you so much for the book on Famous Witches. I enjoyed it so much." She placed her hand on his arm.

"I should have known you would've had it read already." They laughed. Then he looked down at her hand on his. "That's a beautiful bracelet. Where'd you get it?"

She snatched her hand back. "Oh um it was a gift from a friend." She was glad when he let it go easily. "So how was the Burrow?"

Ron spoke with food in his mouth as usual, "Mum says hello. I still don't understand why you couldn't come with us. Malfoy's not that important."

Hermione sighed and looked down at her bracelet. _"If only."_ She thought.

Harry spoke again, "How did that go by the way? Your letters didn't explain much. How about the Room of Requirement?"

She couldn't believe he was asking so many questions already and in the Great Hall of all places.

"Um well we, I…" She didn't know what to say and was glad when he interrupted her.

"I actually found something out while talking to Mr. Weasley. He thinks what Draco is so interested in is a vanishing cabinet. That's what was at Borgin and Burke's and it has a sister but no one knows where it's at."

"The Room of Requirement." She gasped after she said it. She hadn't meant for that to come out.

"Is that what you wanted to tell me about that? Hermione, that's what he's trying to repair." She nodded her head, in shame. "Vanishing cabinets are meant to transport people. What if he's trying to get people into Hogwarts?"

Hermione hadn't thought about why he'd need the vanishing cabinet. "Who would he need to get in Hogwarts?" But then it dawned on her. "Death Eaters."

"But why would it be so important for Death Eaters to get into Hogwarts?" Ron piped in.

Hermione thought for a moment. He needed back up.

"So what other interactions have you had with him?" Harry asked eager to get information.

She gulped down her pumpkin juice. "Well we, we started meeting." Harry started choking on his juice but she continued. "Every night on the Astronomy Tower."

"Blimey, Hermione." As shocked as Ron was, he still kept all his food in his mouth.

"What did you talk about?" She thought Harry was going to jump out of his seat.

"Just stuff." She replied simply.

"Just stuff?" Ron, still chewing, asked. "You meet bloody Draco Malfoy, Death Eater, every night to talk about just stuff?"

"No, I mean we didn't talk about anything that relates to what we're trying to figure out." She lied.

"So wait, how did you even get him to talk to you in first place?" Ron asked, stupidly.

Harry could see Hermione getting upset. "No offense to you of course, Hermione, but he has a good point. We all know he hates you or did at least."

"You know how Harry." She said discretely.

He leaned towards her and whispered in her ear, "Did something happen between the two of you?" Her heart started racing and she nodded her head yes, not able to lie any more to her best friend. "We can talk about it later, okay?" She nodded again, unable to form words for fear of bursting into tears.

Harry was always good at reading her emotions. She looked across the Great Hall to find Draco, but didn't see him anywhere. She knew where he was and started picking at her food, worriedly.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Later that night Harry walked into his dormitory to find Ron gazing out the window.

"It's beautiful isn't it? The moon?" Ron said happily.

"Divine." Harry replied sarcastically. "Help yourself to a little midnight snack, did we?" He said, noticing an empty chocolate box on his bed.

"It was on your bed; the box. I just thought I'd try one."

"Or twenty." Harry laughed.

"I think I'm in love with her, Harry." Ron said as he stood from his position on the floor.

"Honestly I thought she was starting to annoy you." Harry sat down on his bed and Ron followed him a little too closely.

"She could never annoy me." Ron smiled largely. "I think I love her."

"Well brilliant." Harry scooted away.

"Do you think she knows I exist?"

"I bloody well hope so. She's been snogging you for months."

"Snogging? Who you talking about?"

"Who you talking about?" Harry asked, thinking that Ron was speaking of Lavender Brown.

"Romilda. Romilda Vane of course."

"Okay very funny." Harry went to pick something off of the floor but suddenly Ron had thrown something at him. "What was that for?"

"I'm in love with her!" Ron shouted, seeming quite offended.

"Okay you're in love with her. Have you ever actually met her?"

"No. Can you introduce me?"

He noticed Ron was acting quite strange and then he looked at the empty chocolate box on his bed and saw a note from Romilda Vane. Putting the pieces together, he concluded that the candies had been smothered with love potion that had been intended for him and that Ron had helped himself to something that wasn't his.

"Come on Ron. I'm going to introduce you to Romilda Vane." Harry lied.

A few minutes later Harry was knocking on Professor Slughorn's door with Ron behind him looking dazed.

"I'm sorry sir I wouldn't bother you if it weren't absolutely essential." Harry said when Slughorn opened up.

The professor took one look at Ron and could tell something was wrong. "What's the matter with Wenby?"

Harry lowered his voice, "Very powerful love potion."

"Very well. Better bring him in." They entered the room.

Professor Slughorn mixed up a drink for Ron and mere seconds after the boy drank it, he was back to normal.

"What happened to me?" Ron asked, confused.

"Love potion." Harry laughed.

"And a very strong one at that." Professor Slughorn chipped in.

"I feel really bad." Ron stated, sulking. He looked awful as well.

"You need a pick me up my boy. Beer, wine," his list continued until he pulled out a bottle. "I was saving this for something but the occasion calls for it."

Professor Slughorn then brought each boy a drink and as Harry and Slughorn toasted, Ron drank happily until he fell quickly to the floor, convulsing and foaming at the mouth.

"Ron, Ron. Professor do something!" Harry yelled.

However, Professor Slughorn stood back, baffled. "I don't understand!"

Harry rushed over to Slughorn's stash and pulled out a large tablet. He ran over to Ron and shoved the tablet in his mouth. "Come on Ron breathe."

After a few seconds of the world standing still, Ron began coughing and sat up. "These girls, they're going to kill me." And then he passed out.

Harry instantly relaxed.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What's happened to him, Harry?" Hermione came rushing into the hospital wing, just hearing word of Ron's incident. She sped by McGonagall, Snape, Slughorn, and Dumbledore.

"Poisoned mead." Harry said, sorrowfully.

"Is he okay?" Hermione made her way to Ron's bedside and took his hand.

"He'll be fine. Just sleeping is all."

"Quick thinking on your part Harry. You should be very proud of your student Horrace." Dumbledore spoke.

"Oh yes. Very well."

"I think we agree that Potter's actions were heroic but the point is why were they necessary?" McGonagall inquired.

"Why indeed?" Dumbledore said, turning to Slughorn. "This appears to be a gift. Who gave you this Horrace?" He took the bottle and smelt it. "It smells remarkably of cherry and licorice but also diluted with poison." He then handed it to Professor Snape.

"From a student. Actually I had intended to give it as a gift myself." Slughorn admitted.

"To whom I may ask?"

"To you Professor." He said shamefully.

Hermione nearly let out a gasp. She instantly knew who the certain student was.

"Where is he? Where's my Won Won?" Lavender then came bursting through the doors and Hermione immediately released Ron's hand and stood.

Harry definitely noticed her behavior.

"Has he been asking for me?" Lavender rushed towards his bedside and took the spot Hermione had been occupying.

"Well let's go everyone. Mister Weasley is well tended to." Dumbledore piped in.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hermione could not believe it. She was livid. Draco was at it again and this time it had affected her directly. One of her best friends was poisoned because of him.

That night she raced up to the Astronomy Tower in pure rage and saw Draco leaning over the rail. She stomped up to him and when he turned to open his arms towards her and smiled, she slapped him across the face.

"You, you…" She couldn't even find words.

"Hermione," Draco had no idea what was going on.

"He's in the hospital because of you! My best friend. Poisoned! He could have died, Draco! And it would have been on you." She pointed her finger at him as she spoke.

He grabbed her hand. "What the bloody hell are you talking about?"

"Ron! He drank the poisoned mead that you had intended for Dumbledore." She spat out.

Realization dawned on him. "Hermione, I didn't mean to hurt him. You know that."

"Do I?" She snatched her hand back and crossed her arms.

"What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?" He had a look of betrayal across his face now.

"You have always hated the Weasley's. Why should now be any different?"

"Because I care about you and he's your friend."

"And does that really make a difference to you? Does that really change how you've felt about someone your whole life?"

"Have you not been listening to anything I've been saying to you every night for nearly two months now?" He took a step toward her but she took one back. "I really thought you could see me as a changed person but I guess you're just like everyone else."

She lowered her voice into a calm tone. "Draco, you're still trying to kill a man and harming innocent people in the process. That's two people you've landed in the hospital this year. How many more is it going to be?"

Draco was fighting an inner battle with himself. He was raised to never apologize to anyone and here he was about to do it for something he couldn't care less about. "I'm sorry." His words made her straighten up a little. "I really am. I'm sorry that Weasley got hurt in the process." He hesitated, taking in what he had just said, he realized he did care. "But I've told you why I have to do this and I was under the impression you understood."

Tears began falling from her eyes. "Draco, you're trying to destroy everything I'm fighting for."

"No I'm not. I'm just trying to keep me and my family alive."

She realized how true his statement was and how wrong she'd been in what she'd said. With that in mind she immediately ran into his arms and wrapped herself around him. Even though she was in love with her childhood enemy who was also a Death Eater trying to kill a man, she still felt safe in his arms and because of everything they had shared, she still trusted him.

**Thanks for reading. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you for the reviews/alerts/favs. They are appreciated as always. Enjoy Chapter 10.**

"Hermione, are you okay? You've been reading the same page for the past hour." Harry looked at his friend with concern. They were sitting alone in the back corner of the library. She only nodded in response; very un-Hermione like. "When are you going to tell me about you and Malfoy?"

She sighed and finally looked up at him. "What are you talking about Harry?" She tried to shrug the conversation off.

"You seemed really bothered by our discussion in the Great Hall. You also told me that something happened between you two."

"Harry, I'm fine."

He suddenly realized she hadn't actually told him what had happened and how they had begun to meet. "What exactly happened in the Room of Requirement, Hermione?"

She couldn't stand not telling him anymore. "I-I followed him to the Room of Requirement the night you wrote me about it. I tried to stay hidden but sort of ended up making a lot of noise." He looked at her confused so she explained, "Well you see he headed straight towards the vanishing cabinet and I gasped then I knocked over a table."

Harry began laughing. "Nice."

She blushed. "Anyways, he found me cowering behind a small piece of furniture. He sort of freaked out at first, asking me what I was doing there and telling me to leave. I didn't know what to say Harry and I couldn't curse him."

"Well then what did you do?"

"I," She took a deep breath, "I kissed him."

"What?" He asked in shock.

"Shhhh." She started to pack up her things and he followed suit. They left the library and began walking the corridors.

"So then what happened after that?"

She shrugged. "Well after that incident we started meeting every night." He didn't say anything for a while. "Oh Harry please talk to me."

"I'm just shocked is all. You and Malfoy really kissed?"

"Well that is the plan, Harry. The one you created."

"I know. You're right." He paused to think about something. "So are you and him…I mean do you still…"

"We meet every night, yes."

"Are you together? I mean in his eyes I suppose."

She swallowed. She knew Harry wouldn't tell anyone but she still felt like she would be betraying Draco by telling Harry. "Yes."

"Did you and he even talk at all?" Implying that all they did was snog and he tried to picture it but it seemed impossible.

Hermione gasped. "Yes! That's all we ever did for a while."

"Okay, sorry." He realized something. Hermione was just doing what he asked her to do. They stopped as Ron joined them. "Hermione I really am sorry. You're only doing what I asked you to. You don't have to do this anymore. We've gotten a lot out of it already."

"Finally," Ron started. "I can't believe you two actually did that."

Hermione looked at her feet. She didn't want to stop seeing him, ever. She hadn't meant to fall in love with him. It wasn't a part of the plan.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A week had passed since Hermione had told Harry about the kiss between her and Draco and everything seemed to actually be working perfectly.

Harry no longer badgered her about Draco and she still met Draco every night up in the Astronomy Tower.

However, everything wasn't as perfect as Hermione thought.

Draco was still trying to mend the vanishing cabinet as well as trying to figure out ways to take down Dumbledore. He didn't sleep or eat. He couldn't. Sleep didn't come easy because every time he attempted to close his eyes images of death flooded through his mind. Then eating was just pointless because he'd end up thinking too hard about his plan and he'd throw up. So he chose just not to eat instead.

Talking to Hermione and spending time with her seemed to take his mind off things and perhaps that's why he felt so strongly about her. Lately when they were together, he let her do most of the talking. He found himself interested in her life; how her day was, how her classes were going, and to his surprise what the muggle world was like.

"_So when you're at home, you don't use any magic?" He asked her one night._

"_None at all." _

_He laughed, "That sucks." _

"_It's really not that bad. Just imagine if you had to lift boxes with those strong arms of yours and cook with those long skinny fingers and clean with a broom instead of a flick of your wand." She laughed at his disgusted expression. "You've never cooked or cleaned with magic have you?" She looked at him seriously._

"_Well, no. That's what the house elves are for." _

"_No that's not what they are for!" She raised her voice and he could tell she was angry. "They should have rights too! They have feelings. Just because you're too lazy to do the work yourself doesn't mean you should have a slave do it for you. I would call them servants but they don't even get paid!" _

_He laughed slightly and she threw him a death stare so he stopped. "Hermione, they like it." _

"_They like it because they've never known anything else. You know if you were to join S.P.E.W. it could gain some popularity." _

"_Join what?" _

"_S.P.E.W. is an organization I started to promote elf rights!" _

"_Okay, okay. Calm down. Even if you do think they should be paid and all, you'll never even get the actual elves to agree to it." She groaned. "Come here." He swooped her up in his arms and kissed her. _

"_Don't think you're getting out of this just because you kiss me." _

"_Whatever you say Hermione." He smiled before he began kissing her again._

Hermione was not only ignoring Draco's problems but she kept ignoring the fact that she wasn't telling the whole truth to Harry. She didn't tell him that Draco was ordered to kill Dumbledore and she didn't tell him that she'd fallen in love with Draco.

Every time a bad thought like this came to her mind she ignored it that is until she was confronted about it.

"Hermione! Hermione! Hello? Hermione!"

Hermione jumped out of her dazed state to hear Ginny screaming at her. "Oh, sorry." She had been gazing at Draco across the Great Hall with a large smile stamped across her face.

"What is the matter with you?"

"Just thinking is all." She tried to lie.

Ginny leaned forward and lowered her voice. "I know your secret."

Hermione's eyes bulged and she turned to Ginny but before she could say anything Ginny was headed out of the Great Hall. She hurriedly gathered her things and followed her.

"Ginny! Ginny come back here!" She raced after her friend and only caught up to her when she reached the portrait hole to their common room. "Ginny what are you talking about?"

But Ginny only turned towards her and smiled. "Balderdash." The portrait hole swung open and the girls entered.

Ginny ran up the stairs towards Hermione's dormitory. Hermione was worried. How could Ginny possibly know? Hermione closed the door behind her and turned to Ginny. "Are you going to tell me what you've been going on about?"

"Draco Malfoy."

"What about him?" She tried to play innocent but she knew Ginny would see right through her.

"You're in love with him."

"What? That's what you think?" Hermione made her way to the window.

"No. That's what I know."

"And what would make you think that?"

"Oh I don't know. Maybe the fact that every night you sneak out to meet him in the Astronomy Tower or the fact that you're wearing a bracelet he gave you or the fact that you can't stop smiling."

Hermione realized as Ginny said it that she was indeed smiling and tried to hide it. "I can too."

"Let's see it then." Ginny said, knowing she was right.

Hermione tried to make a straight face, but it failed miserably, "I can't." She began laughing but stopped at Ginny's serious expression. "How'd you know?"

Ginny smirked. "Well you see I first found out you were seeing him every night when I saw you sneak out of the common room one night and followed you there and saw you snogging him."

"How did you know it wasn't a part of the plan?"

"I'm not stupid Hermione. I know Harry told you that you didn't have to keep it up." Hermione nodded in agreement. "As for your bracelet, it's pretty obvious actually and I'm surprised no one else has noticed it. It's bearing a snake isn't it?"

Hermione played with her bracelet and smiled again. "Yes it is. He gave it to me for Christmas."

"Hermione, you can't keep this up."

"What do you mean?" She sat down on her bed and Ginny followed her.

"You didn't tell Harry everything Draco is up to, did you?" Hermione shook her head no. "That's what I thought." She sighed. "You're lying to him Hermione."

"Who are we talking about?"

"Both of them. Hermione, you aren't telling Harry everything you know and as for Draco, well what if he finds out that this was all a plan and that you have told Harry some things?"

For the first time since Ron had been in the hospital, Hermione began to cry. "Do you think I don't think about these things?"

"No I don't. You've been so happy lately and I'm sad to say that that concerns me. You're being naïve."

"I am not!"

"You are! The truth will come out eventually Hermione and I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"I'm not. Draco and I are happy and Harry doesn't want to know anything more about Draco."

"You're really in love with Malfoy?"

Hermione smiled again. "I am."

"You know he's a Death Eater right?" They laughed.

"I've seen the proof." Hermione laughed again.

"What?"

"I said I've seen his Dark Mark."

"No I know what you said but how?" Hermione blushed thinking about that night. "You shagged didn't you?"

"Ginny!"

"Bloody hell Hermione you really do love him." Ginny knew that Hermione would never go that far with someone unless she truly felt something for them.

"It just happened, okay?"

"Okay. I'm here Hermione if you need someone to talk to."

"I know. Thank you." Hermione wrapped her arms around Ginny, both happy and relieved to have someone to talk to about her situation.

**Thanks for reading.**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm very very sorry for updating so late. Thanks for the reviews and all the alerts/favs. You're all great! Enjoy Chapter 11. **

It had been months since she had told Ginny about her and Draco. Everything was going great until one morning at breakfast; Ron, Hermione, and Harry were all sitting in the Great Hall. Harry was looking thoroughly through his Potions book when he heard Hermione gasp. He looked up at her and followed her line of vision. He saw Katie Bell walking through the Great Hall. Katie was the girl who had been cursed by what he thought was Malfoy.

He got up quickly, gathering his books and walked over to Katie.

"Katie, how are you?"

"I know you're going to ask Harry, but I don't know who cursed me." She sighed. "I've been trying to remember, honestly, but I just can't." At that moment she looked up and past Harry so he turned around to see what she was looking at and saw Malfoy.

Malfoy hurriedly ran out of the Great Hall and Harry didn't hesitate to follow. Corridor after corridor he rushed after him.

Draco turned into a doorway leading to a bathroom. He was panicked and it was written all over his face. He was breathing hard and sweating. He leaned over a bathroom mirror and tore off his sweater and loosened his tie. Katie was alive and well. He knew she would eventually remember it was him that cursed her and then what would he do? This only reminded him of his failed attempts to complete his mission and he was running out of time. He turned the facet on and wet his face. He began to sob. He saw Harry in the mirror and immediately turned around, slightly frightened.

"I know what you did Malfoy. You hexed her didn't you?" Harry quickly accused him.

Draco pulled out his wand and threw a curse at Harry which in return he dodged and threw one back. They both went to hide, throwing curses back and forth, breaking mirrors and pipes as they went. Water quickly filled the floors.

"Crucio!" Draco shouted but Harry again moved out of the way.

Before he knew what he was doing Harry shouted, "Sectumsempra!" It hit Malfoy square in the chest and as Harry turned the corner to where Malfoy was, he saw red water at his feet. He looked at Malfoy sobbing on the floor with dozens of cuts across his chest, bleeding profusely.

Suddenly Snape came charging in. The professor looked at him oddly and then whispered an incantation that stopped Draco's bleeding. Harry left immediately.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"YOU WHAT?" Hermione yelled.

Harry and Ron were all surprised at her reaction but Ginny looked at her worriedly. Harry had just told them all what had happened with him and Draco in the bathroom.

"Hermione, he tried to torture me." Harry justified.

"So you decided to use a spell that you have no idea what it does? The only reason the spell you used isn't an Unforgivable is because it's made up by this stupid Half Blood Prince! If you had any dignity at all left you'd destroy that book. It's turning you into someone I don't even know anymore."

Harry narrowed his eyes at her, trying to figure out why she was acting like this. Then it came to him. "Snape came in and reversed the spell. I think he'll be okay, Hermione. I'm sure he was taken to the hospital wing."

"You think he'll be okay?" She said sarcastically and crossed her arms.

He grabbed her coat that had been lying on the couch and held it up towards her. She reached out for it and as he handed her the jacket he nodded his head and said, "Nice bracelet."

At that moment she knew that Harry had figured it out but all she could think about was Draco. So she took her coat and ran out of the portrait hole.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Take my hand." Ginny said as they entered the Room of Requirement. "You need to hide the Half Blood Prince's book so no one will ever find it including you."

They heard something make a noise and at the same time said, "What was that?"

Harry saw the vanishing cabinet and opened the doors releasing a bird.

"See you never know what you'll find up here." Ginny smiled. She walked closer towards him and took his Potions book out of his hand. "Close your eyes so you won't be tempted." She walked backwards. "Close your eyes." He did as she said. Before he knew it her lips were on his. "I can stay hidden up here too if you'd like."

He laughed and when he opened his eyes, she was gone.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She quietly opened the door to the hospital wing, not wanting anyone to see her. She looked towards the office and saw Madam Pomfrey working on a potion at her desk. She decided it was safe to go in.

As she approached Draco's bed, she could see that his chest was wrapped many times and there was a bottle of Blood Replenishing potion sitting on the bedside table. Her heart seemed to skip a beat. She pulled up a chair and sat down quietly.

She studied him for a moment. He looked more pale than usual and she blamed that on losing so much blood. However, his eyes still had black circles underneath them and he looked as skinny as ever. She released a tear at his appearance.

"You're much to pretty to be crying." His voice was weak and dry.

She wiped her face clean and smiled. "I was so worried. As soon as Harry told me what happened I came down." He put a hand to her face, wiping a stray tear away, and smiled up at her. "Would you like some water?"

He shook his head no. "That rude lady says I can only drink this ghastly potion."

She laughed at his stubbornness but then became serious once more. "I'm sorry that Harry did this to you."

He brought his brows together. "You shouldn't be. It's not your fault your friend's a git." He smirked. When she didn't say anything he continued, "I'm glad you're here."

"I was really worried about you." She repeated. "When the words first came out of Harry's mouth, I was sure he had killed you." She stopped to catch her breath.

"You think I'd let Potter be the one to kill me?" He asked. She laughed as she wiped her eyes. "Come here." He painfully grunted as he moved his body over to make room for her. He lifted the blanket as she crawled underneath it and snuggled up to his chest.

She ran her hand over his bandages gently. "Does it hurt?" She looked up at him.

"Not when you're here." Even though it hurt him to do so, he leaned down and kissed her lips.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Excuse me?" The woman cleared her throat. "Excuse me?" She yelled a little louder waking Hermione from her deep sleep.

Hermione jumped realizing who was standing in front of her. "Madam Pomfrey!"

"Young lady what do you think you are doing here?"

Hermione scuttled out of Draco's hospital bed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep." She looked out the window and realized it was daylight. "What time is it?"

"Eight o'clock in the morning Miss. I suggest you leave before I deduct House points!"

"I'm so sorry." Hermione grabbed her coat and made her way for the door leaving a sleeping Draco behind.

She quietly closed the doors and turned to see Harry. "Harry…"

"When were you going to tell me?"

"Harry, I didn't…"

"You didn't what Hermione? Why did you spend all night in the hospital wing?" Harry asked even though he already knew the answer.

"He's my friend, Harry."

"I think he's a little more than your friend." He started to walk away.

"Harry please just let me explain!" She called after him.

"Explain what Hermione? How you're dating a Death Eater? And not just any Death Eater, but Draco Malfoy. I just don't understand."

"Please Harry. I didn't mean for it to happen. It's just we spent so much time together over break and we talked and I just understand him better now."

He stopped and turned towards her. "And the kiss you told me about was it real?"

"No it wasn't like that at first. I really was just going along with the plan but it just turned into something more."

"And you're clearly still seeing him am I right?"

"Yes."

He groaned as he bit his lip. "Hermione, he cursed someone! Katie could have died because of him. He's a Death Eater. He works for You-Know-Who. He hates people like you. He bullied you when we were little. He made you cry so many times."

"I know but Harry he's changed. I promise."

"You know how I feel about him."

She nodded. "I do."

"Just be careful, please?" She nodded her head, tearfully. "Come here." He waved his hand, asking her to come towards him and when she did, he gave her a hug. "I care about you Hermione and don't want to see you get hurt."

"I know, Harry."

"Come on, let's go get some breakfast." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and they headed towards the Great Hall.

**Thanks for reading.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hope an early update makes up for the last one being so late. Thanks again, as always. Enjoy Chapter 12.**

Hermione sat curled up on the couch in the common room reading a book. Ron was gone and she had assumed he was off somewhere snogging Lavender Brown.

As for Harry, he was with Dumbledore as usual. She worried about Harry. He was always doing favors for Dumbledore and running around at his beckoning call.

Ginny was sitting in the chair beside her. "So how are things going with Harry now that he knows?"

Hermione sat up a little straighter. "He seems fine. I think he's got bigger things on his mind than my love life." She paused. "What about you and Harry?"

Ginny instantly blushed. "There's actually something I need to tell you."

"What happened?" Hermione was getting excited, something she never usually did over silly girl stuff.

"When we went to hide his Potions book in the Room of Requirement I kissed him." She said proudly.

"Ginny! Oh that's so wonderful. You two are so perfect for each other."

"It's really not that big of a deal. It's not like we're going to get married." She laughed. "You and Draco are okay, right?"

"Perfect, why?"

Ginny shook her head, "It's just I worry about you two."

"Why's that?"

"Well for one you two are on opposite sides of a war. Have you ever thought about that?"

"Of course I have but Ginny no war is going on."

"Oh Hermione please stop being so naïve. It's so unlike you. A war is going to happen and when it does you and Draco will be no more. Besides, his family would never accept you. Not to mention you're whole relationship is based on a lie." Ginny didn't realize she had started to ramble.

Hermione slammed her book shut. "I'm going down to the hospital wing. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hermione," Ginny called realizing what she had done but Hermione was already gone.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Draco was lying in the hospital bed staring up at the ceiling. His whole torso burned and he made a mental note to punch Potter in the face the next time he saw him.

He was bored and he needed to get out of here for many reasons. First and foremost he wanted to see Hermione. He wanted to hold her and kiss her. On the other hand, there was work to be done. He didn't like lying here with his thoughts haunting him.

Whenever Madam Pomfrey brought him food he had to force himself to eat it because she would always watch and make sure he ate every last bite. Then of course he ended up throwing it up which made the nurse even more concerned about his health and therefore prolonging his hospital stay.

Not tonight though. Tonight he was escaping this hell hole and going to see Hermione. He needed something to calm his nerves and she did just that. So when Madam Pomfrey's office light went out, he slowly and quietly rose from bed. He realized all he was wearing were a pair of long pajama bottoms. It was cold in the castle and was thankful to see his white button up shirt lying on the chair next to him. He threw it over his shoulders not bothering to button it up leaving his bandaged chest exposed.

He quietly snuck out of the hospital doors.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hermione walked the halls carefully making sure not to make too much noise since it was after curfew. Even though she was a prefect she didn't like abusing the power.

She was so caught up in her thoughts of Draco, however, that when she turned a corner she ran straight into another person.

"Oi!"

"I'm so sorry." She apologized. She then realized who she had bumped into. "Ron? What are you doing out so late?"

"I was just with Lavender." He blushed and she instantly knew that by being with Lavender he had meant that they had been snogging.

It didn't bother her any more now in a jealous way. It only bothered her because it didn't seem like he ever spent time with his real friends anymore. If she was being honest, she did miss him.

"Oh that's nice." She gave a fake smile.

"What are you doing out past curfew?"

"Oh um I was just," She debated telling Ron where she was headed. He wasn't aware of her relationship with Draco and she knew that he wouldn't be too fond of it.

"Are you going to the hospital wing?"

She was surprised that Ron knew that. He wasn't too swift at putting things together. She decided she wasn't going to lie. "I am."

"You're going to see Malfoy aren't you?" His ears started to turn red.

"Ron,"

"I thought you and Harry were done with that stuff." He started to raise his voice.

"We are Ron."

"Well then what are you doing going to see bloody Draco Malfoy in the hospital wing?" When she didn't reply he continued. "Hermione, Harry told you that you didn't have to keep this up anymore. You're free. You don't need to waste any more time pretending to like the bloke. You got enough information out of him already."

Hermione just stood there not sure how to tell Ron the truth but then his head snapped up and his lip curled and she turned around to see what he was looking at.

She gasped. "Draco," Before she could say anymore he turned around and started walking away. "Draco please, let me explain. It's not what you think!"

He abruptly turned around. "I trusted you! You! Out of all other people, I trusted you."

"Draco," She began to sob.

"And the only reason you wanted to be with me is so that you could go running back to Potter with information about me!"

"Draco please it's not like that anymore!"

"Anymore? That's great, really great. When did it stop being like that, huh? Was it before or after we shagged?" He turned to walk away again.

"Draco, wait."

He turned around with tears in his eyes, "Stay the hell away from me." He turned around towards the hospital doors ready to open them.

"Please Draco." She managed to choke out.

He turned back around with malice in his heart. "My father was right. You're nothing but a filthy little mudblood." He spat and burst through the doors, leaving a hurt, crying Hermione.

But the pain wasn't over for her. She turned around and saw Ron. He looked more betrayed than ever.  
>"Ron,"<p>

But he only shook his head as he slowly walked backwards and eventually he was out of her sight.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Shhh," Ginny sat on her bed, rubbing Hermione's bushy hair. "Shhh."

When Ron came bursting through the common room earlier, Ginny could tell he was furious.

"_Ronald? Ron what's wrong?" But he didn't answer her. Instead he immediately headed towards the boys dormitory. "Ronald Bilius Weasley! Answer me." _

_He turned around on the stairs and nodded his head towards the portrait hole. "Why don't you ask her?" _

_Ginny turned around to see Hermione coming through the door. She realized Hermione had tears in her eyes. "Hermione," But before she could finish, Harry pushed past Ron. He seemed to be in a hurry._

"_Harry where are you off to?" Ron asked._

"_I'm leaving." _

_Hermione wiped her face. "Leaving? You can't leave Hogwarts." _

"_Why do have your invisibility cloak?" Ginny asked, seeing the cloak in his hands._

"_Dumbledore. Dumbledore needs me. We're going to find a horcrux." _

"_Harry!" Hermione gasped. _

"_I don't have time for a lecture Hermione. I'll see you all when I get back." And with that he left the room. _

_Ginny turned to speak to Ron but he had already headed up the stairs so she turned to Hermione who was sobbing again. _

_Hermione shrugged. "D-draco overheard mine and Ron's conversation." She stopped to cry._

"_What were you talking about?" _

"_Ron found me on my way to the hospital wing and started going off about how I didn't need to keep pretending to like Draco because we had already gotten enough information out of him." Hermione made her way into Ginny's arms._

"_What did Draco say?" _

"_He started to walk off and I ran after him. He didn't want to hear a thing I had to say and he mentioned something about us shagging which is why Ron's upset and then," she stopped and released more tears._

"_Hermione?" _

"_He, he called me a m-mudblood." _

"_Oh Hermione." Ginny sighed. _

"You were right, Ginny. Everything just blew up in my face. I was kidding myself to think everything was going to work out perfectly."

"Hermione don't dwell on anything I said. Draco will come to forgive you." She lied. Ginny knew there was no chance of them ever getting back together. It would take a miracle.

"You don't believe that, Ginny." Hermione wiped her eyes and sat up. "It's over. It's really over. Draco and I are no more. He's a Death Eater. He follows You-Know-Who. I'm a mudblood. I follow Harry."

"Don't call yourself that."

"It's what I am Ginny and it's what I'll always be." She sighed looking down at her wrist. She could still see where she had slashed her wrist. She wiggled her arm and her bracelet fell over the scar. "There's a war coming and that's what we need to focus on; winning this war."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Draco had made quite the ruckus when he reentered the hospital wing, waking Madam Pomfrey.

"Mr. Malfoy! What on heavens name are you doing out of bed?"

He didn't reply instead he just sneered, making the old nurse return to her office once he made his way over to the bed.

He sat on the edge of the bed for a moment and let his head hang. Tears splashed down onto his hands that were clenched together.

He had never felt more betrayed in his life and he was a Slytherin where betrayal was a daily theme. He had finally trusted someone and let them in and all it had gotten him was a broken heart. He'd never quite felt this way before. His chest felt like it was about to explode and his stomach was in knots.

He got really hot and knew what was coming next. He grabbed the trash can by his bed and vomited. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and laid down on the bed.

He couldn't help the tears that streaked down the sides of his face.

"_Mudblood. Stupid mudblood. I'm a bloody Death Eater. I was chosen."_ He thought.

He had lost focus on the task at hand and knew that's what he needed to be thinking about, not some stupid girl. He closed his eyes, clearing all thoughts and memories he had of her and instead filled them with what he was about to do.

**So I imagine some of you aren't too happy right now but it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise. This had to happen sometime and I'm going to have to ask you to hang with me for the next 3 or 4 chapters. They might seem ridiculous but it'll all be ok. Just trust me. Thanks for reading. **


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks for the reviews/alerts/favs. Enjoy Chapter 13.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

In the Gryffindor boy's dormitory, Ron lay quietly angry in his bed.

Mere minutes ago he had broken up with Lavender Brown. She was starting to annoy him and his lips were becoming chapped but that's not the only reason he had decided to break it off with her. Truthfully, he had begun to miss his friends. Harry was always off with Dumbledore and he himself was always with Lavender. And then there was Hermione. He had assumed that when she disappeared she was going to the library. He missed her telling him off about not doing his homework and to his surprise he also missed her going on about house elf rights.

If he was being completely honest, Hermione was the only reason he broke up with Lavender. They had always had a connection even though neither of them had chosen to act on it.

Then he had heard how she tried to apologize to Malfoy like she actually liked him and when Malfoy had mentioned that they shagged, Ron's heart sank.

He always thought Hermione was so innocent. He always thought he would be her first. He quickly became jealous of Draco Malfoy and his jealously always came in the form of anger and resentfulness towards the wrong person.

"Oi Ron?"

"What?" Ron spat out a little too harsh.

It was Dean Thomas who spoke, "It's just you're grunting and you seemed disturbed. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Ron rolled on his side with no intentions of falling asleep.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Draco put his cold feet on the ground and slipped into his black suit. He made his way to the Room of Requirement as the skies blackened. He shed the blanket off of the vanishing cabinet and looking more scared than ever, he watched the doors open. Before seeing what came out of it he ran towards the Astronomy Tower.

Tonight was the night he and his family would be forgiven and all would be well again.

He reached the Astronomy Tower where he knew his target would be.

"Good evening Draco. What brings you here this wonderful evening?" Dumbledore began.

"Who else is here? I heard voices." Draco asked, wand raised.

"Oh I was talking to myself. I find it quite delightful." He paused scanning the young, scared wizard. "Draco you are no assassin." Dumbledore said calmly.

"How do you know what I am? I've done things that would shock you." Draco was scared. He knew Dumbledore was right. He was no murderer.

"Like giving a cursed necklace to Katie Bell and in return hoping she would bear it to me? Or replacing a bottle of mead with one laced with poison. Draco trust me. We can help you and your family."

"Trust you? I was chosen!" He lifted up his left sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark.

Dumbledore's eye's widened at the sight. He brought out his wand. "I should make it easier for you."

"Expelliarmus!" Draco quickly shouted.

"Very good." They heard noises much like people coming. "There are others? How?"

"The vanishing cabinet in the Room of Requirement. I've been mending it. It has a sister." His whole arm began to shake along with his voice.

"Where?"

"Borgin and Burke's."

"Genius!" Dumbledore commended. "Draco, years ago I knew a boy who made all the wrong choices. Please let me help you."

"I don't want your help. Don't you see? I have to kill you or he's gonna kill me." Draco nearly began to sob but they were joined by the others.

"Well look what we have here. Well done Draco." Bellatrix Lestrange entered and spoke in a menacing tone.

"Good evening Bellatrix. I do think introductions are in order." Dumbledore seemed to remain calm.

"Do it." Bellatrix ordered.

"He doesn't have the stomach. Just like his father." Another man in black said.

"Go on Draco. Now!" Bellatrix persisted.

Draco could feel his wand arm lowering. He couldn't do this. He couldn't kill a man especially not here where he had talked to her and kissed her. He shook the thoughts from his mind, thinking of how she betrayed him.

"No." Snape suddenly appeared from nowhere and Draco dropped his arm completely.

"Severus, please." Dumbledore pleaded.

Snape hesitated but then flawlessly said, "Avada kedavra."

Draco felt useless. He knew at that moment it all changed. As he walked the hall with his fellow Death Eaters he realized what had just happened. Hermione was right. He had destroyed everything good. As he walked with these people he barely knew he felt like nothing. He felt more scared than ever and at that moment he knew he only wanted one person by his side.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In the courtyard of Hogwarts, Dumbledore lied dead, surrounded by his many students. Harry knelt beside him feeling much like Draco Malfoy ironically. Ginny came to his side and allowed him to cry in her chest, showing everyone their new found relationship.

McGonagall raised her wand towards the dark sky that was embedded with the Dark Mark. She was followed by many others and together they formed light, vanishing the same mark that was imprinted on Draco's arm.

Hermione, among others, began to sob. Was it Draco? Did he really kill Dumbledore? She started shaking just thinking about those words coming from her Draco's mouth. She shook her head, cursing herself. He wasn't hers anymore and at that moment she knew he could no longer be a part of her memory.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Later, up in the Astronomy Tower, Harry showed Hermione the locket he had confiscated with Dumbledore.

"Do you think he would have done it, Draco?" Hermione asked Harry.

"No. He was lowering his wand. In the end it was Snape. It was always Snape."

Hermione sighed, relieved. She knew Draco was no murderer and was proud of him for not going through with it himself. However, she feared his fate and shuddered at the thought of Voldemort touching him.

"It's fake." He told her referring to the locket. "Open it."

She did as she was told and found a small piece of parchment. "To the Dark Lord, I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real horcrux and intend to destroy it. RAB. RAB?"

"I don't know but whoever it is has the real horcrux which means it was all a waste." Harry said defeated.

Hermione looked back at Ron. "He's okay with it you know? You and Ginny. But if I were you, when he's around, I'd keep the snogging to a minimum." They laughed.

"I'm not coming back Hermione. I've got to finish what he started. I don't know where I'll be but I'll let you and Ron know."

"I've always admired your courage Harry, but sometimes you can be really thick. Do you really think you're going to be able to find all those horcruxes by yourself? You need us Harry."

He didn't reply, knowing she was right. He lowered his voice. "Hermione, Ginny told me about what happened with Draco. I really am sorry."

She nodded her head and smiled at him. "It's in the past Harry. We have bigger feats to overcome and that's all that matters." She sighed. "Harry, I need you to do something for me."

"Anything." He said immediately.

"I need you to obliviate my memory. I mean all my memories of him." She asked hopeful.

"No. Absolutely not." He shook his head.

"But you just said you'd do anything for me, Harry."

"Hermione, I understand that you probably won't ever see each other again but do you really want erase all the good memories you had of him?"

"Yes." She tried to say confidently.

He put a hand awkwardly on her shoulder. "No you don't. I always tell myself that I would want at least one good memory of my parents even if it meant I still had to live with the fact they were dead. I'd give anything for just one memory."

She smiled. "Thanks Harry."

Ron stood and joined them staying back a ways, his jealousy flying out the window. He looked towards Hermione in a caring way. He wanted to tell her so many things like the fact that he would kick Malfoy's arse if she asked him to or the fact that he had just broken up with Lavender when he ran into her on her way to the hospital. There was also the fact that he had a mad sensation to kiss her even though he knew her mind was wrapped up in thoughts of Malfoy. However, he put his feelings aside because he knew this was going to be one long year.

Harry sighed and looked out at the grounds. "I've never realized how beautiful this place is."

Hermione smiled, trying to put her feelings aside. Everything was going to change. Draco hated her and she would probably never see or speak to him again. She wouldn't be returning to Hogwarts next year and would have no means of communication even if he did want to talk to her. Her heart ached at this fact but none of that was important now. Now, she had to help Harry. She would join her two best friends to hunt horcruxes and destroy evil once and for all.

**Thanks for reading.**


	14. Author's Note

**_IMPORTANT PLEASE READ._ CONTAINS SUMMARY OF CHAPTERS 1-13!**

**So in the next week or so I will be picking this story back up! I am so excited. **

**I owe you guys an explanation. I stopped and took a break after Chapter 13 mainly because I was going back to school and I knew I wouldn't have time to write, but also because I had written Chapter 14 and wasn't sure if I liked the direction I took it. Chapter 13 was a good place to stop because it ends where the sixth movie ends and Chapter 14 picks up where the seventh movie starts. **

**I decided to stick with the original draft of Chapter 14 and I'm very worried what you guys will think. It's a big turn and I'm just not sure you guys will see where I'm going with it. However, I ask you to trust me once again and stick with me because I know you'll be happy with the end product. **

**Lastly, I've decided to provide a short SUMMARY of the first 13 chapters for you since it's been so long since I last updated. **

**SUMMARY OF THE PLAN CHAPTERS 1-13**

**Harry believes that Draco is now a death eater and is determined to find out more information so he comes up with the plan that Hermione should seduce Draco in order to get information. At first, Hermione refuses but fatal events caused by Draco change her mind and she too is convinced that he is up to something. **

**They put the plan in action and Hermione begins having more run ins with Draco. One night after a Quidditch match, Ron kisses Lavender Brown and Hermione flees to an abandoned stair well where she runs into Draco. He offers her a drink and she accepts. **

**Her next encounter with Draco occurs after Slughorn's Christmas party when Cormac attacks her. During Christmas break, Hermione and Draco both stay at the castle. Harry suspects Draco is doing something in the Room of Requirement so Hermione follows him in one night. He catches her there and they share their first kiss. **

**After that Hermione and Draco begin meeting every night up in the Astronomy Tower. They begin to understand each other better and better and soon become very close learning how to trust one another. **

**After a broom ride around the castle in the rain, they share their second kiss. Christmas came and he gave Hermione a charm bracelet bearing a snake. When she went to meet him that night he wasn't there. He left a note saying he didn't want to be friends anymore. The night before everyone came back from break, Hermione made one last trip to the Astronomy Tower where she finds a hurt Draco. **

**She takes him back to her room. When he wakes up he explains why he left the note, confessing that he is ordered to kill Dumbledore and ends up professing his love for her. They make love and in the morning Hermione realizes that she is in love with Draco Malfoy. **

**Her relationship blossoming with Draco, she feels like she betrays him every time she tells Harry something about him though she never tells Harry that Draco has been ordered to kill Dumbledore. **

**Eventually Ginny discovers her secret. **

**Months pass when a fight between Harry and Draco occurs in the bathroom putting Draco in the hospital. Hermione lashes out on Harry who then also discovers her secret. He isn't happy about it but he accepts it. **

**On her way to the hospital wing, Hermione runs into Ron who tells her that she doesn't need to pretend to like Draco for information anymore. Unfortunately Draco hears their conversation and storms off but not before lashing out at Hermione and spill that they slept together in front of Ron who has feelings for Hermione. **

**That night Draco lets in the Death Eaters and Snape kills Dumbledore. Forgetting about Hermione, Draco rejoins the Dark Side.**

**Knowing a war is at hand and that she and Draco will never be, Hermione puts aside her feelings to help Harry and Ron find horcruxes. **


	15. Chapter 14

**I'm back! Again, I apologize for the long break. If you have not read the previous chapter which is simply an author's note I advise you to do so now. I'm so thankful for all who have stuck with me and all of the newbies. Like I said, I'm extremely nervous about this chapter but as usual I must ask you to trust me and stick with me because I promise you'll be happy in the end. I hope you won't be too hard on me. Well here we go. Enjoy Chapter 14. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

Draco sat at a long table beside his father in his own home or what was left of it anyways. It didn't really feel like his home anymore. Snape entered the room and sat down as Voldemort welcomed him. They were discussing Harry Potter and when he would be moved to a safe house.

Draco wondered if Hermione would be with him. He cursed himself for worrying about her. The past few months he tried to convince himself that he hated her. He tried to remind himself that she lied to him and betrayed him. But no matter how many bad thoughts came to his mind about her, he couldn't deny the fact that he was still in love with her and therefore he cared about her wellbeing. He laughed at himself. How could he love her? Everything they had had was based on a lie. Everything she said she felt for him was a lie. But when he pictured her warm brown eyes and remembered her warm vanilla smell, he still smiled to himself.

At the head of the table Draco saw Voldemort speaking to them but he couldn't hear anything he was saying. He couldn't hear anything at all. Voldemort stood and made his way down the table.

Draco internally shuddered when he passed him and his parents. He could see that his father and mother felt the same way, especially his father. Lucius Malfoy looked like he hadn't shaved in months because he hadn't. His hair was abnormally untidy and like Draco, he had black circles around his eyes.

Draco held his breath when Voldemort came back to his family and stopped at his father. He seemed to be talking about another wand. He needed another wand. Draco saw Voldemort take his father's wand. He snapped the snake head from it and tossed it across the table. His father shuddered, clearly afraid.

He wanted them to attack. He wanted them to attack when they moved him. Draco felt the sheer need to vomit. He just knew she would be with him. How was he supposed to fight, knowing she was there, knowing she could die?

He attempted to tell himself that she chose that. She chose to help protect Potter and if she got hurt then it was her own fault. However, he knew that none of that mattered to him.

Next thing he knew the floating body of a Hogwarts professor was directly over him. He had seen this teacher before. She was the Muggle Studies professor. Before Draco could blink, the woman was dead and even though Draco had never personally had her as a teacher he felt guilty and sick.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Head for the Burrows! We rendezvous there! On the count of three! ONE! TWO! THREE!" Mad-Eye Moody shouted and banged his staff on the ground.

Seven Potters. That's how many Harry's there was that night, the night they moved Harry to the Burrow.

No sooner than when they had taken off, Death Eaters were upon them, Draco in the midst.

He flew through them looking for her but all he saw were people he didn't recognize and Harry Potter. He looked to his left and saw Harry and looked to his right and saw Harry. Then it dawned on him. There was more than one Harry Potter. There were many of them in fact and he knew she was one of them. So he stopped. He stopped when Harry Potter looked him in the eyes. He knew it was her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hermione had just arrived at the Burrow with Kingsley. Remus and George were already back as well as Harry, Hagrid, Bill, and Fleur.

She heard someone else come through the barrier. It was Tonks and another Harry. She looked back at the real Harry, who, by the look on his face, confirmed that it was Ron.

She ran towards him and threw herself into his arms.

Ron smiled as he changed back into himself. "Thanks."

"He deserves that!" Tonks said as she made her way over to her husband. "Brilliant he was. I wouldn't be standing here without him." She gave Lupin a hug.

"Really?" Hermione gasped, still in Ron's arms.

"Why always the tone of surprise?" Ron asked her.

She took his glasses off and Harry came and hugged them both, glad to see his two best friends still alive.

Arthur and Fred Weasley apparated in and everyone entered the Burrow to see George bleeding profusely from the side of his head.

As Fred and George talked, Bill came in and announced that Mad-Eye was killed. Everyone sat back and took in what just happened.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ron could hear him. He could hear Harry gather his things and begin to leave so he chased after him.

"Going somewhere?" He asked once outside.

"Nobody else is going to die. Not for me." Harry announced.

"For you? You think Mad-Eye died for you? You think George took that curse for you? You may be the chosen one mate but this is a whole lot bigger than that. It's always been bigger than that." For the first time, Ron actually seemed to make sense.

Harry turned around. "Come with me."

"And leave Hermione? Are you mad? We wouldn't last two days without her." He paused thinking about what he had just said. "Don't tell her I said that. Besides you still got the trace on you. We've still got the wedding."

"I don't care about a wedding. I'm sorry no matter whose it is. I've got to start finding horcruxes. They're our only chance to beat him and the longer we stay here the stronger he gets."

"Tonight's not the night mate. You'd only be doing him a favor."

Harry dropped his rucksack and Ron immediately picked it up and led Harry back into the Burrow.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Loud music played in the tents guarded by many wizards. Harry walked in to see his two best friends, one wearing an elegant white dress, dancing merrily. Their friends and family gathered around them clapping happily.

"Harry!" The two stopped their dancing and made their way over to him.

He smiled. "Hermione," Harry gave her a kiss on the cheek, "you look beautiful."

She smiled and looked down, shyly, "Thank you, Harry."

"Congratulations you two. I'm so happy for you." He said as he shook Ron's hand.

He looked Hermione in the eye and though she was smiling happily at Ron, Harry could tell that her mind was on something else.

Harry left the happily married couple as Ron turned to Hermione and kissed her.

Though Hermione laughed and danced through the night with someone she loved, she couldn't help but picture him. She could see him and his platinum blonde hair and silver eyes smiling back at her.

It had been decided in the middle of summer that she and Ron would wed. Though they had learned to care for each other deeply over the summer, that's not the entire reason they married.

Being muggle born, Hermione was being watched closely by the Ministry of Magic which was slowly being over taken by Voldemort himself. Unless she was married to a pureblood wizard, she would eventually be captured by Snatchers and would undergo an investigation. It was highly likely that she would have to undergo the investigation once Voldemort had fully taken over the Ministry anyways, but everyone decided that it would be safest for her to marry anyways.

She wasn't keen to the idea at first but she knew Ron and her feelings for him had begun to rekindle over the past few months. Hermione knew that if she was going to be with anyone in this world it would be Draco but since that was never going to happen, Ron would be her next choice.

"_I can't do this. It's like an arranged marriage." Hermione confided in Ginny._

"_But it's not." _

"_I feel like we'd be doing it for the wrong reasons." _

_Ginny became frustrated. "Look Hermione, do you love him?"_

_She hesitated. "Yes." _

"_And do you see yourself spending the rest of your life with him?" She took Hermione's shoulders in her hands._

_Hermione thought about it. "Yes I do." _

"_Then that's all you need!" _

"_Yes but Ginny I'm seventeen. Why can't we just wait a few years?" _

_Ginny sat her best friend down. "There's a war going on Hermione. People are dying every day and to be frank, you and Ron could be next any day now," Hermione stood and faced away from Ginny, "especially considering the position you're in! You're Harry Potter's best friends. It is a miracle you're still here now! I just don't want you to look back a year or so from now when Ron's not here and wish you would have done it."_

_Hermione sat back down coming to the realization that Ginny was right. _

During the wedding and the reception, she had to admit that she was happy for the first time in a very long time. She knew Ron loved her and over the summer she had begun to care deeper and deeper for him as well as her memories of Draco started to subside.

As they danced the night away, Hermione started to believe that they were actually going to get through a night of celebration without being interrupted. However, that changed when a small blue ball came flying through the tent.

It began talking in what everyone knew a Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice, "The ministry has fallen. The minister of magic is dead. They are coming. They are coming." The ball disappeared and everyone began to panic.

Hermione crossed the room trying to find Ron. He had been drug away from her by a guest. She could see him fighting across the crowd to get to her and when he finally did, he took her in his arms.

Everyone was rushing around them and they looked around for Harry, as black smoke encircled them. Finally Harry had come to them and as soon as they touched each other, they apparated.

Their feet hit the ground of a busy street and as they made their way past, people gave them strange looks as it wasn't every day that a young woman walked down the street in a wedding gown.

Hermione led them to what looked like an abandoned alley way. "We need to change." She pulled out a small purple bag and handed it to Ron so she could dig through it. When she put her hand in the bag, she seemed to be able to fit her whole arm in it. "Undetectable extension charm." She explained as she handed the boys their clothes.

"You're amazing you are." Ron said as he beamed down at her.

"Always the tone of surprise." Hermione laughed as she used his own line on him.

**Yes, this is still going to be a Dramione story for those of you who will ask. Again, just stick with me. Thanks for reading.**


	16. Chapter 15

**Thank you to the few who reviewed and the many who added as alerts/favs. This is the last chapter that will have zero Dramione so I'm sure you'll be happy about that. Enjoy Chapter 15. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

"What was that about, Lucius?" Narcissa asked as her husband rejoined her and her son at the head of the dinner table.

Draco looked up from his untouched plate.

"Potter was spotted at the Ministry." He stated bitterly.

"What?" Narcissa gasped.

"Along with his mudblood and blood traitor."

Draco nearly choked on his drink but tried not to make it noticeable.

"Well was he caught?" She asked.

"No Narcissa. Don't you think I'd be a little more cheerful if he had been?" He spat.

Narcissa lowered her head and began nibbling at her food, silently.

Draco cleared his throat. "So they all made it out, safely?"

Lucius slowly turned his head to his son then stood and left the table without another word.

"I hope whatever they're up to, they're succeeding." Narcissa said in a whisper.

"What do you mean mother?"

"If Potter and his friends were seen at the Ministry it means they're up to something. I hope they accomplished whatever they had planned. The sooner he destroys him the sooner…" She stopped.

"Are you telling me you support Potter?" Draco furrowed his brow.

His mother looked at him silently then stood and walked away from the table, much like his father had done.

He released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. He thought to himself. _So she, Potter, and Weasley were at the Ministry but for what? It just seems like pure stupidity. Maybe mother is right. The sooner Potter succeeds the sooner I'll have my family back, the sooner I'll have my home back, and the sooner I'll no longer be a Death Eater._

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It had been weeks or maybe months since Harry, Ron, and Hermione had gone to the ministry to retrieve the locket. They had been lucky and escaped but unfortunately Ron had been splinched when they apparated away and so they could no longer apparate anywhere due to his weakness.

They were in yet another forest inside their tent as Hermione cut Harry's hair.

"Oh my god." Hermione gasped.

Harry sat in the chair as Hermione abruptly stopped cutting his hair. "What?" He felt the back of his head thinking she had made a mistake with his hair but when he turned around she was walking away so he followed.

"I'll tell you in a minute."

"Maybe you could tell me now." When he reached her, she was flipping through book after book.

"The sword of Gryffindor, its goblin made." She said as though he should know what she was talking about.

"Brilliant." Harry said confused.

She smiled up at him. "No you don't understand. Dirt and rust have no effect on the blade," she showed him a book, "it only takes in that which makes it stronger."

"Uh-kay?" He still didn't understand.

"Harry! You already destroyed one horcrux right? Tom Riddle's diary in the Chamber of Secrets."

"With a basilisk fang…if you tell me you've got one of those in that bloody beaded bag of yours…"

She sat down at the small table, "Don't you see? In the Chamber of Secrets you stabbed the basilisk with the sword of Gryffindor. Its blade is impregnated with basilisk venom." She explained.

"It only takes in that which makes it stronger." Harry sat down coming to the realization of what Hermione was getting at.

"Exactly which is why…"

"It can destroy horcruxes." He finished.

"And that's why Dumbledore left it to you in his will!" She became more and more excited by the moment.

"You are brilliant, Hermione. Truly!" He looked at her and smiled excitedly.

"Actually, I'm highly logical which allows me to look past extraneous detail and perceive clearly that which others overlook!" She said highly intelligently.

"Yeah," Harry said not really paying attention anymore, "there's only one problem."

The lights suddenly went out and they heard Ron enter the room. "The sword was stolen." He clicked the lights back on with his deluminator, "Yeah I'm still here, but you two carry on. Don't let me spoil the fun.

Harry closed his book and turned towards Ron, "What's wrong?"

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong. Not according to you anyway." He spat.

"Look if you've got something to say don't be shy, spit it out."

Hermione sat up a little straighter, feeling the tension in the room. She feared what was about to happen.

"Alright I'll spit it out, but don't expect me to be grateful just because now there's another damn thing we've got to find."

"I thought you knew what you signed up for!" Harry said getting more and more frustrated.

"Yeah I thought I did too."

He stood and made his way over to Ron. "Well then I'm sorry but I don't quite understand. What part of this isn't living up to your expectations?" Harry spoke sarcastically referring to their living arrangements being in a tent and them having almost no food. "Did you think we were going to be staying in a five star hotel, finding a horcrux every other day? You thought you'd be back with your mum by Christmas?"

"I just thought after all this time we would have actually achieved something." Hermione then made her way over to Ron realizing that he was still wearing the horcrux locket they had retrieved at the ministry. "I thought you knew what you were doing. I thought Dumbledore would have told you something worthwhile. I thought you had a plan!"

"I told you everything Dumbledore told me and in case you haven't noticed we have found a horcrux already!" Harry shouted pointing at the necklace draped around Ron's neck.

Ron rolled his eyes, irritated. "Yeah and we're as close to getting rid of it as we are to finding the rest of them aren't we?"

"Ron, please." Hermione tried to remove the locket from his neck but he shoved her away so she tried again, "Please take the horcrux off. You wouldn't be saying any of this if you hadn't been wearing it all day." She was desperately trying to get him to take the locket off knowing where this conversation was leading.

"You don't know why I listen to that radio every night, do ya?" Ron asked Harry. "To make sure I don't hear Ginny's name or Fred or George or Mum…"

"Well you think I'm not listening too? You think I don't know how this feels?"

"NO YOU DON'T KNOW HOW IT FEELS!" Hermione jumped at how loud and angry Ron was. "Your parents are dead. You have no family."

He had gone too far. Harry threw himself at Ron throwing punches.

"Stop! Stop!" Hermione yelled trying to pull the two boys apart.

"Fine then go!" Harry yelled. "Go then!"

For a few seconds the only sound was hard breathing. Then Ron tore off the locket and threw it on the ground.

"Ron…" Hermione whispered, barely audible.

"And you?" Ron said directing his voice towards her. "Are you coming or are you staying?" Hermione looked back at Harry letting her mouth hang open in amazement. She was utterly baffled. She didn't want Ron to leave. She cared about him too much but they had promised Harry that they would help him. When she didn't say anything he felt he had his answer. "Fine. I get it. I saw you two the other night." Ron had thought he saw Harry and Hermione together the other night but truth was, his mind was only playing tricks on him and he was being his usual jealous self.

"Ron, that's, that's nothing." She started crying. He then left the tent and she yelled after him. "Ron!" She followed after him. "Ron where are you going?"

Inside the tent, Harry was still breathing hard and before he knew it he heard the sound of apparition mixed with Hermione's desperate cries.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Come all. Let's leave young Draco to finish this mess." A sharp, shrill voice ordered.

Draco felt like he was going to be sick. He closed his eyes and told himself that he'd done this many times.

"Draco." The shrill voice sounded again.

Draco turned around. "Yes master?"

"I'm waiting."

He turned back to the lifeless form of a young muggle girl and raised his wand. "Avada kedavra." He whispered.

"Well done my boy." And with that Voldemort exited the room.

Draco immediately left to his room. When he got there, he slammed the door shut and slid down it, sobbing. He hated himself. He hated what he had become and what he was supposed to believe. Every day he wished he could just die. Then he thought back to one of the happiest times of his life.

"_Draco! Draco stop it!" She laughed. _

"_Never." He continued to tickle her endlessly. _

"_Please!" She laughed again._

"_Okay, okay." They sat up and he pushed a piece of hair out of her face. "Hermione, I love you." _

_He saw her face light up and her eyes widen. "What?" _

"_I said I love you." _

"_I know." She stopped to catch her breath. "I love you too." _

_He smiled brightly and kissed her endlessly as he threw her on the silky green sheets. They laughed and kissed and laughed even more. _

Of course he knew that this memory was not real and that he was no longer in the right mind. He picked himself up off the floor and made his way into the shower.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nothing had been the same since Ron left. Harry could feel the sadness Hermione was radiating and he felt sorrowful for his best friend. He wasn't quite sure how long it had been since Ron left but since then, they had gone to Godric's Hollow where they were almost eaten alive by Voldemort's snake, Nagini.

Hermione had apparated them here to the Forest of Dean.

Harry sat in a chair across the room from Hermione who was sulking.

"Do you miss him?" He boldly asked.

She lifted her head of her knees and sighed. "Of course I do."

"Which one?"

"Excuse me?" She asked confused.

"I mean," Harry hesitated slightly, questioning whether he should be asking this considering her vulnerable state, "do you miss Ron," he stopped again, "or Malfoy?"

"What?" Hermione stood in shock at his question.

"I know how you felt about him and that doesn't go away."

"Harry, I told you. I don't love him. If I did I wouldn't have married your best friend."

Harry only nodded in response, knowing that instead of trying to convince him, she was attempting to convince herself.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The following days were spent repetitively. For a few hours at a time, one would sit outside and stay on watch while the other stayed warm inside the tent.

One night Hermione was lying asleep in the tent when she heard something.

"Hermione!" Harry called from outside.

She rushed outside. "Is everything alright?" He was acting funny to her.

"Um yeah, everything's fine actually." He motioned behind him.

Then she saw him. She treaded up the small hill. Ron.

He flashed a goofy smile. "Hey."

She stood there silently for a moment debating on what to do. On one hand she was furious with him for leaving and wanted to let him know it but on the other hand she was so happy he was back.

She marched over and stopped abruptly in front of him. He looked scared of her and she laughed in her head at this. Then she threw herself in his arms and he gladly embraced her.

"Don't you ever dare do that to me again." She said into his chest.

He chuckled and gathered her face in his hands. "I won't." Then he kissed her softly.

**Thanks for reading. **


	17. Chapter 16

**Thank you for the reviews/alerts/favs as always. Wish I got as many reviews as alerts. That'd be alot! So here we are...the torture scene. I'm pretty proud. Enjoy Chapter 16.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

Once Ron had returned, Hermione convinced the boys that they needed to see Xenophilius Lovegood. She was certain that he would know something about the symbol written in her book left to her by Dumbledore. They arrived at his home and he skeptically welcomed them. He offered them a ghastly concoction that he called tea but none of them could stand to drink it. As Hermione looked around she wondered where Luna was.

When Harry asked Mr. Lovegood about his necklace that was the same symbol written in Hermione's book he said three words, "The Deathly Hallows."

Hermione internally rolled her eyes at her stupidity. _Why didn't I think of that?_

When Hermione was finished telling the story of the Deathly Hallows to the three others she knew they should leave. They walked down stairs to where Mr. Lovegood was making more "tea."

Harry announced to him that they were leaving and thanked him for the tea. As they reached the door, Harry questioned Luna's presence or rather the lack thereof, "Where is Luna, sir?"

His eyes widened and he looked down. "They took her from me." He said shyly.

"Who, sir?" Harry asked again.

"Voldemort."

Suddenly, hexes were being sent through the windows and the trio immediately ducked and scrambled towards each other. Once they reached one another they apparated.

"Traitor!" Ron exclaimed once they landed. "Can't trust anyone!"

Harry spoke softly, "They have his daughter, Ron."

Hermione was silent still shaken up about what had just happened. She walked over to a tree in order to put up protective enchantments but was stopped when a large man appeared before her. Snatchers.

Run. That's all they could do. The three friends ran through trees and roots throwing and dodging hexes. Ron was worried about Hermione. Hermione was worried for Harry. Harry was worried for both.

Then Hermione stopped knowing it was useless. She turned around and threw a curse towards Harry and he fell to the ground. She physically shook as she looked around for Ron and saw that he was chained by one of the snatchers.

All she could hear was her own breathing. She saw Ron chained. She saw Harry's swollen face from the curse she threw at him. She saw the snatcher talking. She felt his hot breath and hand on her face. She heard Ron defending her. She cleared her thoughts just in time to hear him ask who she was.

"Penelope Clearwater, Half-blood."

"And you?" The snatcher turned to Harry.

"Dudley, Vernon Dudley."

"No identification." One of them said.

"Why you have no identification? Why is it you don't want us knowin' who you is?"

"Let's take em into the Ministry."

The man stopped in front of Harry, noticing something. He lifted Harry's bangs with his wand. "We're not going to the Ministry."

Hermione closed her eyes wanting to cry. He had seen Harry's scar and was taking them directly to Voldemort.

Draco cleared the mirror in his lavatory from the steam of his hot shower. He took many showers hoping to wash the evil off as well as the relaxing feeling it gave him after his brutal sessions with Voldemort. For some reason, the Dark Lord found it entertaining to torture him in every way possible.

Draco looked at himself in the mirror and sighed wishing he knew more healing spells. He had a large bruise on his torso and was convinced that his ribs were at least cracked. His arms had many scrapes, scars, and bruises, some new, some old. But to him the worst scar he bore was the large black mark on his left forearm.

Suddenly there was a banging on his door.

"What?" He yelled, annoyed that someone had disturbed him.

"You're needed in the ballroom now. Bellatrix is not a patient woman."

He recognized the voice as Peter Pettigrew. He sighed, summoning his all black suit into the bathroom. At least if he was being called by Bellatrix, he wasn't being called by the Dark Lord.

He slipped into his suit not knowing his fate.

The Snatchers apparated them and as soon as they landed in front of a dark, creepy mansion, Hermione wanted to vomit. She turned towards Harry in a panic for many reasons and he made eye contact. He could see tears brimming her eyelids but knew she would never let them fall.

They reached large iron gates and saw Bellatrix Lestrange approaching them. Harry immediately tensed remembering the moment Bellatrix murdered his god father.

The snatcher pushed Harry up against the iron gate and lifted his hair revealing the lightning bolt scar.

Bellatrix's eyes widened with excitement and in a hushed tone she said, "Get Draco."

Hermione's breath hitched.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As soon as he saw her, he wanted to take her in his arms but he knew that would never happen so he stood there, frozen at the bottom of the stairs. They held eye contact for what seemed like ages.

"Draco! Dear nephew." Bellatrix brought him over in front of someone who was on their knees. He immediately knew who it was. Bellatrix whipped the man's head back and Draco gulped. "Well? Is it him? Is it Harry Potter?"

He didn't know what to do. If they were caught, if she was caught, she would be killed. He didn't want Potter to fail. He needed him to succeed. "I-I can't be sure."

"Draco," Lucius Malfoy stepped forward from the darkness, "Surely you realize that if we are the ones to turn Potter in then all would be forgiven."

"Now we won't be forgettin' who actually caught him." The snatcher spoke.

"How dare you!" Lucius started but was stopped by his wife.

"What's wrong with his face?" Draco asked after Bellatrix pulled him on his knees. He could see Harry looking at him. He wasn't sure if he was begging him to be quiet or threatening him.

"Yes what is wrong with his face?" Bellatrix asked the snatchers.

Draco heard the snatcher reply but wasn't listening to what the man actually said. He snuck a glance over his shoulder at Hermione, however, when Bellatrix mentioned checking her wand for a stinging charm. He smiled inside. She was so smart. He looked back at Harry whose brows were furrowed at Draco.

"What is that?" Bellatrix screamed at a snatcher standing in the background. He was holding the sword of Gryffindor. "Where did you get that?"

"Found it in her bag." The man grinned widely. "Reckon it's mine now."

Before anyone knew it, she was lashing out at the men, strangling them and hexing them. Once the sword was out of the man's possession she yelled, "Go! All of you! Out!" The snatchers immediately left, fearing their lives. "Boys in the cellar! The mudblood stays here. We're going to have a little chat, girl to girl!"

Draco's heart rate immediately raced. _No. No. No._ Harry and Ron were immediately drug by Pettigrew to the dungeons.

Hermione was thrown to the floor by Bellatrix and Draco felt himself begin to panic. He lost focus on everything but Hermione and Bellatrix. He could hear Ron screaming in the background for Hermione. Then the worst. He heard her blood curdling cries. He had heard those cries so many times, mostly from himself. It was a result of torture. He swallowed hard as he watched her body writhe in pain. He released a breath he didn't realize he was holding in when her screams stopped. But it wasn't over.

"You stole it didn't you? You were in my vault?" Bellatrix yelled in Hermione's face.

He could see Hermione tremble. "We didn't steal anything!"

Bellatrix smirked and continued the cruciatus curse.

Everything was happening in slow motion. He had to do something. He tried moving but he couldn't. He was stuck. He knew if he defended her, he would get the same punishment. His cowardly Slytherin side won.

He was relieved when her screams stopped once again. He saw Bellatrix hunch over her once more. _What is she doing now?_ He saw her rip something from Hermione's left hand.

"Did you really think marrying a blood traitor would get you anywhere?" Bellatrix screamed.

_What? What is she talking about?_ Draco thought. Then he realized what his aunt was holding. It was a ring. He felt like his heart was being cut out of his body.

Bellatrix threw the ring into the fireplace and the flames turned blue when the ring hit them.

"Worthless. You are worthless and so is your marriage." Bellatrix said. She whipped out a knife and Hermione's eyes widened with even more fear.

Draco closed his eyes when he heard her screams start up again. He couldn't stand to watch his aunt carve into her.

"Hermione!"

Draco could hear Ron's cries for her from the dungeon but luckily everything went silent again.

"Get me the goblin." Bellatrix ordered Pettigrew and he raced down stairs like the rat he was. "Anyone else?" She turned towards Draco and he immediately looked away. "Draco, I know you've been dying to take your shot at the mudblood." She smiled evilly. He said nothing. "No?"

Luckily for him, Pettigrew came back with the goblin and Bellatrix began questioning him.

Draco stared at Hermione's lifeless form on the floor of his ballroom. She was looking right at him, begging for his help and pleading with him. He couldn't break the eye contact. He wanted to help her but knew he couldn't.

"Take him back to the cellar. We might need him later." Bellatrix said in reference to the goblin. "The same can't be said for this one." She said as she circled Hermione.

Before Draco could move, he saw Ron and Harry running forth. But instead of battling the pair, he stood there not breaking his eye contact with Hermione. He let his mother and father do the fighting.

"Wands down!" Bellatrix's voice rang.

Draco swallowed hard. She had Hermione by the hair, knife to the throat.

"I said drop them!"

Harry and Ron did as the crazed woman said.

"Draco." Bellatrix whipped her head ordering him to pick up the wands.

But he didn't move. He looked towards Hermione, then to the wands on the floor, then to Harry, then back to Hermione.

"Oh for goodness sake." His father spat bitterly as he kicked the wands over to Draco.

Draco bent down slowly and picked up the two wands.

"Well, well. Look who it is. Harry Potter all bright and shiny and new again." Bellatrix cackled. "Call him."

Everyone turned towards Draco waiting for him to pull up his sleeve but when he didn't his father rolled his eyes and pulled up his own sleeve revealing the Dark Mark. Just as he was about to press his fingers to the mark they heard a squeaking noise coming from the ceiling.

It was the house elf, Dobby, unscrewing the large antique chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It quickly fell nearly landing on Bellatrix and Hermione. Luckily Hermione was thrown and landed in the arms of her husband.

Harry rushed over to Draco in an attempt to get their wands back but when he looked into his childhood nemesis' eyes, he could see it. So he took Draco by the neck and drug him over to where Dobby, Ron, Hermione, and the goblin were waiting. Harry saw Ron give him a look asking him what he was doing but Harry ignored it as he pointed a wand at Draco's head.

"You could have killed me!" Bellatrix screamed at Dobby.

"Dobby never meant to kill anyone. Only harm or injure."

Narcissa raised her wand but Dobby snapped his fingers and the wand was his.

Bellatrix raised her voice again. "How dare you? How dare you take your witches wand?"

"Dobby has no master! Dobby is a free elf!" And with that he snapped his fingers again apparating them away.

But before they were completely apparated, Bellatrix threw her knife into the mass only realizing what she had done after she'd done it.

**I know some of you were probably expecting to Draco to do something but I try to stay on character as much as possible and he is a Slytherin after all. Thanks for reading. **


	18. Chapter 17

**Thanks as always. I hope this chapter will fulfull some hopes. Enjoy Chapter 17. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

Draco landed on his side, wet sand sticking to his face as he rolled over and vomited. He saw Harry lying on his side directly in front of him only mere inches away. They didn't say anything to one another. They simply stared questioning the motives of the other. Then they heard sobbing. They both looked to the side and saw a horrific scene. Harry immediately began crawling away.

Draco swallowed hard as he watched Hermione cry over Ron who was lying on his back, Bellatrix's knife sticking out of his torso.

Ron reached his hand up to Hermione's face as he struggled to breathe and that's when Draco saw it; the gold band encircling Ron's left ring finger. It sent a glare towards Draco and reality dawned on him. _She married Weasley._ Draco sat there watching the tragic scene before him unfold.

Hermione couldn't believe it. Her best friend was dying.

"Dobby, go get Fleur from inside. Tell her someone's hurt." Harry ordered.

Hermione held onto Ron's hand that was still placed on her cheek. She bent down and kissed him softly their tears smearing.

Draco felt his heart being cut out again and he looked away.

Hermione rested her forehead on Ron's neither being able to breathe properly.

"I love you." He whispered.

She nodded her head. "I love you too."

Ron turned to Harry, shaking. "Take," he winced, "take c-care of-f-f her." Harry nodded his head, tears falling from his eyes.

Ron then quit moving and the hand holding onto Hermione loosened. His eyes slowly fell and then finally closed.

"RON! RONALD!" Hermione sobbed. "HARRY DO SOMETHING. DO SOMETHING!"

Harry moved next to Hermione and cradled her as she sobbed.

Eventually, Fleur and Bill Weasley had come on Dobby's orders. They were confused and scared. There was nothing Fleur could do for Ron. He was already gone. Bill demanded to know how it happened but Harry regretfully and respectively told him that he just couldn't say.

As time passed, people made their way inside and soon it was just Draco, Bill, Hermione, Harry and Ron's body. Harry still clenched to Hermione.

"We'll wait." Bill spoke. "We'll wait for you guys to do what you need to do and then we'll take his body to Mum and Dad."

Harry nodded and said, "I appreciate that and Bill? I promise I'll explain it. When this is all over I will tell you what happened."

Bill nodded. "Is she," referring to Hermione, "is she okay?"

Hermione was pale and looked as though she was barely breathing. She looked as though she was doing everything to keep her eyes open as she leaned on Harry for full support.

Draco, still in the background of everything, snapped his head up at Bill's comment. He knew she was physically drained from being tortured and emotionally drained from the obvious.

Harry looked down, "We need to get inside, somewhere warm. She needs to sleep. She," He paused and cleared his throat, "she was tortured." He said it in almost a whisper.

"What?" Bill whisper-screamed.

"I told you I would explain everything." Harry said, wiping his nose.

"Get her inside. Fleur needs to look at her. We don't need to lose two people today." As Bill stood, he seemed to notice Draco for the first time and immediately whipped out his wand. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

Before Draco could respond, Harry spoke, "I brought him here. It's okay."

"No. No it is not okay. He's a bloody Death Eater!" Bill yelled, still aiming his wand at a sitting Draco.

"Bill, you're going to have to trust me more than you trust yourself, please." Harry said still holding a barely alive Hermione.

Bill lowered his wand and turned back to the house. "If he tries anything he's dead." Harry nodded. "Let me take her inside. I doubt she can walk. I'll make sure Fleur takes care of her." He leaned down and took his sister-in-law in his arms, bridal style. "Will you," he paused to make sure he could get the words out, "will you move him to the room back behind the house?"

Harry nodded silently as he stood. He waited until Bill was in the house and then Harry took out his wand and began levitating his best friend.

Draco still sat amongst the wet sand. He wasn't sure where he should go or what he was doing here. He didn't want to go back but he knew the people inside wouldn't want him there. He knew what he wanted. He wanted to go see her and to make sure she was alright, but he couldn't. He sat there, staring at the ocean until someone walked up to him.

"Draco?" A light, dreamy voice spoke. He looked up, surprised to see Luna. She offered her hand to him, "Would you like to come inside? They have a room for you."

He took her hand and stood. He cleared his throat, "Um tha-thank…"

She interrupted him. "No need to thank me. I could sense the wrackspurts in your head from inside the house."

"The what?"

She still held his hand as they walked back to the cottage. "The wrackspurts." He decided not to ask. He knew Luna could be well loony at times. "She's going to be okay, Hermione that is."

"Uhh…" He didn't know what to say.

"I know that's who you are worrying about."

"And how do you know that?"

"The same way Harry knew."

"I'm sorry? I'm not following you."

"She means it's written all over your face." Draco and Luna were stopped outside the cottage by another voice. It was Harry. "I'll take him from here. Thanks, Luna."

"It's no problem really." She said in her dreamy voice as she reentered the house.

"Potter," Draco started.

Harry shook his head. "We'll talk later just don't be stupid. You're a guest in their house so act like it." Harry headed inside, "And Malfoy?"

"Yeah?"

"I trust you." Harry said sternly. Draco's eyes widened but then he realized Harry was using it as a threat. He understood so he just nodded. "Come on." Harry jerked his head towards the house.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Draco lay in the small bed across from the other small bed in the room that Harry laid in. He couldn't sleep and he knew Harry was awake as well. The day's events were just too much.

Suddenly they heard screams. Terrifying screams. Draco and Harry both sat up at the same time, fear crossing their faces. They rushed out of bed and down the hall, knowing where it was coming from.

Harry threw the door open to see Luna shaking Hermione.

"What happened?" Harry asked rushing to his best friend's side.

"I can't wake her, Harry." Luna said softly.

"Hermione," Harry said softly.

"What's going on?" Bill and Fleur appeared in the doorway pushing Draco aside.

"She's having a nightmare." Harry said, panicked.

"No." Draco said. Everyone snapped their heads toward him, amazed that he had the audacity to speak. He went on anyways. "She's dreaming of being tortured."

Harry's eyes widened and he immediately went back to trying to wake Hermione up, her screams still going.

"I zink I may have zomething zat will help." Fleur said and rushed downstairs.

"I'll come help you." Bill said following his wife.

"I've tried everything." Luna said.

Hermione screamed again and again.

"Malfoy, come here." Harry ordered. Draco skeptically made his way over to the bed and knelt beside Harry. He winced when she screamed again. "Take her hand."

"What?" Malfoy said in shock.

"I said take her hand!" Harry snapped. Draco did what he was told and at his touch, her eyes opened and she immediately burst into tears. Draco let go of her hand as she pulled Harry down into her bed so he could comfort her. "You guys can go back to bed. I'll stay with her."

Luna nodded and crawled back in bed. Draco stood and stared wishing he was in Harry's place.

The next few nights played out the same way. Everyone attempted to catch some sleep but her terrifying screams would keep them awake. Harry stayed with her and usually did a good job of soothing her.

One night Draco couldn't take it anymore and made his way downstairs to make himself a cup of tea. He couldn't remember the last time he slept. There was too much on his mind. He still hadn't talked to Harry to find out why he brought him here and what he was supposed to do now. In fact, he hadn't had much human contact except for Luna. Bill and Fleur didn't like him being there. Olivander, the wand maker was too weak and the goblin was well a goblin. Draco didn't prefer talking to either of them anyways. As for Hermione, she stayed cooped up in her room, too weak and depressed to move.

He sat down at the small kitchen table and sipped his tea. He heard someone coming downstairs and sighed in relief when it was Harry.

"Malfoy."

"Potter." Harry crossed the kitchen and poured himself a cup of tea. He sat across the table from Draco. "Did you just come from…"

"Yeah."

Draco sighed, "Why did you bring me here Potter?"

Harry sipped his tea. "Because I saw the look on your face."

"What do you mean?"

"You still love her."

Draco choked on his tea. "Excuse me? I don't know what you're…"

"Save it Malfoy. You know I'm right. If I wasn't, you wouldn't still be here."

Draco gulped. "That's how you knew I wouldn't go back." Harry nodded. "I'm confused. When you brought me here, Ron was still alive." He saw Harry tense up. "Sorry. I just mean they were together. They were married."

"How did you know that?"

"Bellatrix threw her ring in the fire."

Harry closed his eyes. "Bitch."

"I'm just saying why would you bring me back with you to be here when she was married to your best friend and why me? You hate me."

Harry resituated himself preparing himself to explain. "When she married him she was still in love with you. Don't get me wrong. She loved him. She loved him very much. But I knew that you were always in the back of her mind. I didn't think that you still felt the same way after what she did to you until I saw you. She deserves to be with the person she really loves and as for…" he stopped thinking of Ron, "well he deserved to be in a relationship where someone loved him with one hundred percent of their heart and unfortunately that wasn't Hermione."

"You really think she still loves me?" Harry nodded. "I still don't understand why you would drag me into all of this."

"You're not a bad person Draco." Draco sat up at the use of his first name coming from Harry. "You were just thrown into bad circumstances. You're a good person even if you don't think so yourself."

"Yeah and how do you know? I've done things that would shock you." Draco said in a voice like his old self.

"I highly doubt that." Draco scoffed. "Do you want to know how I really know? Because she told me so."

Draco's brows furrowed. "Are you serious?" Harry nodded. "So what am I supposed to do now? I can't…I won't go back. Am I your prisoner?"

Harry laughed half-heartedly. "No. You're going to help us."

"Help you?"

"We, well we've been…" Harry started but was interrupted by screams. Harry sighed and sat back in his chair rubbing his eyes. He stood to go take care of her.

"May I?" Draco stood. Harry took a deep breath considering his offer then nodded his head and sat back down.

Draco took one last sip of tea and headed upstairs towards the screaming young girl.

**Thanks for reading.**


	19. Chapter 18

**Thank you very much for the reviews. This one has my favorite scene in it. Enjoy Chapter 18.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

Draco slowly opened the door to Hermione and Luna's room. When he entered, he saw Luna sleeping peacefully despite the horrific screams that filled the room. He saw a bottle of sleep aid potion sitting on her bedside table meaning she wasn't as crazy as he thought. He really wished the Dreamless Sleep Potion Fleur had been working on for Hermione would hurry up and finish.

He looked down at Hermione who was in the same position she was in while being tortured at the Manor. Her sheets were kicked to the end of the bed. Her head was turned to the side and her arms were sprawled out. Her legs kicked as she struggled and her body trembled.

He felt his heart sink into his stomach. He took a deep breath as he shed his black shirt leaving only his bare chest and a pair of pajama pants around his waist.

He gently placed one arm behind her neck as he cradled her to his chest. Her screams stopped at his touch but she didn't wake so he made himself comfortable and for the first time in days, drifted off to sleep.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hermione awoke the next morning feeling oddly rested. She felt something hard lying next to her, holding her. She opened her eyes to a pale, toned chest. When she looked up she saw a sleeping Draco Malfoy and let out a small shriek that startled him awake.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She yelled accusingly.

"Well you were having nightmares and I was just trying to help you sleep." He replied innocently still lying by her side.

"That's not what I meant and I don't need your help! Get out!"

He crawled out of the tiny bed, leant down to pick up his shirt, and walked out the door without another word.

However, Hermione was too furious to let this go so she too stormed out of the room. "How dare you think you are welcome here?" She stopped him in his tracks but he didn't turn around. "You're a foul little ferret and I hate you."

He spun around at this comment, his temper rising. "What did I ever do to you?"

"Exactly!"

Harry had heard the commotion from his room and decided to attempt to prevent anything too horrific from happening. He stood to the side, knowing some things needed to get out in the open.

Hermione started again, "You didn't do anything! You just stood there and watched her torture me like the cowardly Slytherin you are! You sat there and watched her carve this into my arm." She lifted up her left sleeve to reveal her "mudblood" scar. He winced but it faded before she noticed.

"You lied to me!" He blurted out.

"Oh so what? Being tortured over and over again is punishment for that? Having this scar on my arm is punishment because I manipulated your feelings like you've done with countless other whores? I was just one of them wasn't I?"

"How can you say that I was the one who faked my feelings when you just used me to get information from me?"

Harry could see this was no longer going anywhere. "Hermione, come on. Let's go back into your room."

He wrapped his arms around her from the side as she weakly tried to fight him off. Tears quickly started running down her red cheeks and she no longer yelled, "You stood there." Her chin trembled as betrayal ran through her veins. "You stood there." She repeated, her entire face wet from so many tears.

"Come on." Harry whispered. He could feel her shaking in his arms. He slowly drug her away and they stumbled into the room as Harry shut the door behind them.

Draco shut his eyes, releasing tears that he was attempting to hold in. He turned around furiously and punched the first thing in sight, the wall. As soon as he did it, he regretted it. His hand started swelling up immediately and he knew it was broken. He slid down the wall, sobbing even more. He heard someone coming and wiped his face so they wouldn't see him crying.

"I can fix zat for you." He looked up and saw Fleur kneeling in front of him but he didn't say anything. "Come to ze kitchen." She stood up and headed down the stairs as he followed. "Zit." She pointed towards to chair at the small table. He did as he was told. She pulled up a chair in front of him and took out her wand. "Zis iz going to hurt."

"Just do it." He ordered.

She pointed the wand at his hand and said, "Episkey."

There was a slight crack as the bones realigned themselves and she noticed his body tighten as he winced. She summoned some ice and gently laid it on his hand and with another spell, she wrapped his hand with a bandage that came spewing from her wand.

Draco wiped his nose with his free hand. "You're really good at this stuff."

She smiled gracefully. "I am a healer."

"Do you think," he hesitated unsure of himself, "Do you think you could teach me some stuff?"

Her eyes widened. "Yez, of courze. What do vou want to learn?"

"What was the one you just did?"

"Episkey? It repairz ze bonez."

"Can you show me the movement? Perhaps on this?" He lifted his shirt revealing the still blue bruise on his ribs. "I think they're broken."

"Oh my goodnezz!" She gasped. "Come come lay down." She drug him over to the couch. "Why didn't vou tell me?"

"Didn't really think I was in the position to ask for things and it's not a big deal. It's been like this for a while." He laid on the couch as she inspected his wound.

She said some spells he didn't know, rather painful ones.

Harry appeared behind the couch. "What happened to you?"

Draco looked away, "Just a few run ins with the boss." Harry didn't reply. "How is she? Ahhh." He winced as Fleur poked and prodded his other bruises and injuries.

She looked up innocently, "Zorry."

"Angry but I calmed her down. I need to talk to you."

"Sure." He began sitting up but was pushed back down by Fleur.

"I am not done wiv vou vet."

He rolled his eyes. "I've been dealing with this for months now I think I'm good." He got up from the couch despite the witches opinion and followed Harry upstairs into their sleeping chambers.

Harry closed the door behind them and cast several silencing spells before speaking.

"Are you going to kill me, now?" Draco inquired, partly serious and partly joking.

"I probably should but no. I want to finish the conversation we were having last night." Harry took a deep breath. "Do you know what a horcrux is?" Draco's eyes widened and he nodded his head yes. "Hermione, Ron, and I have been hunting the ones made by You Know Who for the past few months."

"What?"

"There are seven and we've found and destroyed three."

"You're kidding me, right?" Draco stood with his hands on his hips not believing what he was hearing. He knew what horcruxes were but he had no idea Voldemort had any.

Harry shook his head. "There was Tom Riddle's diary that was in the Chamber of Secrets."

"Wait you're telling me that was a part of You Know Who's soul?"

"Yes. Dumbledore had a ring that was Tom Riddle's mother's and then he and I found a locket. The locket was a fake but Hermione, Ron and I found the real one. That's why we were at the Ministry."

"Who had the locket?"

"Umbridge."

Draco rolled his eyes. "So there was the diary, the ring, and the locket? What else is there?"

"We don't know."

"Well where are they?"

"We don't know that either."

"Hell Potter what do you know?"

"I think one of them is in the Lestrange vault."

"How do you figure?"

"Bellatrix flipped out when she thought we had been in her vault. I bet you anything there is a horcrux in there and I think it has to do with one of the houses."

Draco sat down, trying to absorb all this information. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because as long as you're here with us, you might as well help us."

"Yeah and what makes you think I'd want to help?" Draco snapped.

"Because you want to see Him destroyed as much as I do." Draco silently agreed. "We need your help."

"How can I help?"

"You're known as a Death Eater. You have connections, information. You might know what one of them is." Harry took a seat next to Draco.

"But I don't." Harry didn't reply. "And I highly doubt she wants me tagging along with you guys."

Harry sighed remembering the conversation he'd just had with Hermione moments ago.

"_Come here." Harry sat Hermione on the bed and put his arm around her as she cried into his shoulder. _

"_Why did you bring him here Harry?" _

_He sighed. "I don't know Hermione. I just saw the look on his face when I went to retrieve our wands."_

_She wiped her face clean. "What do you mean?" _

_Harry took another deep breath. "He still loves you Hermione." _

_She angrily stood up. "Oh Harry, it does not matter! And he clearly doesn't or else he would have done something." _

"_I know you don't believe that, Hermione. You know he couldn't do anything and you know he still looks at you like he did a few months ago." _

"_And how would you know? You hated him so why the bloody hell are you being so nice to him now? How do you know he's not just getting his information and then running back to you know who?" _

"_Because he would have already done it." She didn't say anything back. "We need his help, Hermione." _

"_What?" _

"_You know it and so do I. We can't do this by ourselves and he has an inside edge." _

"_I can't believe you are suggesting that we tell him everything! And bring him along for help? Do you know who he is?" _

_Harry stood up and took her hands. "He's the guy you're in love with." _

_Hermione snatched her hands away. "The person I love is dead." She spat through her teeth._

_Harry took a step back, slightly regretting what he had said. He had been insensitive. Ron had been killed only a few days ago and he was trying to persuade her she loved someone else. He knew it was wrong but he also knew it was the truth. He embraced her in a hug. "I'm sorry." _

_She began to cry again. "I already miss him. He was my best friend." _

_Harry stroked her hair. "I know so do I but you know as much as I do that we have to keep fighting. We have to bring him down or else we betray him. We disrespect him by choosing to give up." _

_He felt her nod her head up and down. "You're right." She pulled away and looked at her feet. "We need him." _

_Harry pulled her back into the hug. _

"I've already talked to her. She understands. She wasn't happy about it, don't get me wrong and she probably won't even acknowledge you but she's smart and she knows we need help." He paused. "There was a period during our hunt when, when Ron left and it was just me and her. It was bloody awful. Don't get me wrong. I love her but the two of us just weren't doing well. We weren't successful."

"Why did he leave?"

"He was jealous and angry." When Draco didn't reply, Harry continued. "She loved him. She really loved him. I think she just always kept a place in her heart for you. It's going to take time mate. She's getting over the death of her husband." He saw Draco wince. "She didn't think she'd ever see you again." Draco nodded trying to understand. Harry sighed. "I want to talk to the goblin."

"Why?"

"We need in to Gringotts don't we?" Draco nodded and they stood.

**Thanks for reading.**


	20. Chapter 19

**Thank you for your generosity as always. I was a little surprise at how many people don't like the Harry/Draco relationship going on. I apologize if you don't like it. I really thought it would be a crowd pleaser but no matter what it's too late to change it now. So I hope whoever it bothers can get past it and enjoy the rest of the story. I also apologize for the sparse updates. I'm taking summer classes so that's the cause. Enjoy Chapter 19. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

"Gringotts! We just robbed bloody Gringotts! We robbed Gringotts!" Draco ranted at he, Hermione, and Harry climbed out of the cold water.

"Oi shut up." Hermione said, clearly annoyed. She didn't say much to Draco and when she did it was usually critical.

Draco looked at her, surprised at her lackadaisical language as he took his sopping, cold shirt off.

"He knows." Harry panted as he took off his wet clothes as well. "You-Know-Who knows we're hunting horcruxes. I saw him."

"What?" Hermione shouted as she stripped her Bellatrix wear.

Harry and Draco looked at Hermione and then to each other wondering if she knew what she was doing. She reached in her bag then pushed dry shirts at them as she wrapped a blanket around her nearly bare body. She rolled her eyes at them. She didn't see what the big deal was they'd both seen her mostly naked and she wasn't about to stay in those freezing clothes that reminded her of Bellatrix.

"He's different."

"Well maybe he's dying. We are killing his soul after all." Draco offered.

"No," Harry started. "It's like he's wounded but more dangerous. We need to go to Hogwarts."

"Are you mad?" Hermione and Draco yelled at the same time. Hermione glared at Draco.

"There's a horcrux there. I saw it. I saw Rowena Ravenclaw."

"Are you sure?" Hermione said.

"Yes I saw the castle it has to deal with the Ravenclaw house."

"Wait just a minute." Draco was confused. "What do you mean you saw these things?"

Harry looked at Hermione debating whether he should tell Draco about his connection with Voldemort. She shook her head but Harry went against her. "I can see into Voldemort's mind and he into mine."

"What like legilimens?" Draco inquired.

"Yes. Snape tried teaching me occulmens in fifth year but he and I didn't really agree on much."

"Harry you have got to stop letting him in like that!" Hermione snapped.

"I can't always help it Hermione."

"You didn't think to mention this before I came with you?" Draco spat.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Would it have changed your mind?" Draco was silent. "That's what I thought."

"Well how do you suppose we get into Hogwarts? It's not like we can just walk in the front door." Draco said sarcastically.

"We'll apparate to Hogsmeade…take the secret passage through Honeydukes." Harry said quickly.

"There's a secret passage through Honeydukes?" Draco asked surprised he hadn't found it himself.

"Great let's just tell him all our secrets." Hermione muttered. Harry gave her a glare. "What? I suppose we'll just tell him about the Marauder's Map while we're at it?"

"The what?" Draco asked, feeling like he was being talked about like he wasn't there.

Hermione shot a look at him then rolled her eyes. "Nothing." She whispered.

Draco deepened his voice trying to sound stern, not that he needed to. "Look if you want me on your side you can't keep secrets."

"Well I don't want you on my side!" Hermione shouted.

Draco was hurt by her statement but he sure as hell wasn't going to let it show.

"Stop. Both of you. Look Malfoy if we need to tell you something we will but other than that you still have that mark on your left arm." Harry said forcefully.

"And what makes you think I won't go back?" Draco threatened.

"Because you don't want to so stop threatening that you will. Now we need a plan."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As soon as they apparated into Hogsmeade, alarms were set off. They immediately hid and were lucky when another alarm went off preventing them from being found. They ran as quickly as they could to Honeydukes but were cut off by locked gates.

"In here Potter." A deep voice sounded and opened a door for them. All three rushed in, skeptical until they saw the man's face. "What were you thinking coming here, fool?"

"You're Aberforth? Dumbledore's brother?" Harry took the man's silence for a yes. "We need to get into the castle."

The two men continued to discuss the war and how stupid Harry was to come here until Aberforth seemed to notice Draco.

"What is he doing here?" Aberforth seemed angry.

"I don't think that's any of your business." Draco snapped.

"This is my house and I won't have a Death Eater in it! So little boy it is my business."

"He's not a Death Eater." Harry bluntly stated. Draco and Hermione both looked at Harry shocked.

"LIAR!" Aberforth screamed.

Harry stood his ground. "He is no longer a Death Eater. He may have been a few months ago and he may bear that mark on his arm but he's the one trying to help defeat You-Know-Who while you sit in your hole in the wall cowering, giving up!" Harry panted when he was done.

Draco was speechless as was Hermione. Draco felt a new sense of pride not only in Harry but also himself. Harry looked towards him and gave him a slight nod in which Draco returned. That was the moment Draco finally respected and trusted Harry Potter.

Aberforth walked over to a portrait of a young woman. "You know what to do." He said solemnly.

"Where is she going?" Hermione said.

"You'll see."

Aberforth left the room for a moment.

"Potter," Draco hesitated like he was having trouble getting out what he was about to say. "Thank you."

Harry's eyes became wide, not knowing that Draco Malfoy was capable of speaking those words. "I meant what I said Draco." Harry replied simply and that was the moment Harry finally respected and trusted Draco Malfoy.

At that moment, the woman in the portrait was getting closer and closer.

"There's someone with her." Hermione exclaimed. The portrait door swung open. "Ginny!"

"Ginny." Harry whispered, echoing Hermione.

Ginny crawled out of the portrait hole and immediately ran into his arms, planting a large kiss on Harry's mouth. Hermione smiled happily until she heard Draco groan, interrupting their sweet moment.

Ginny looked over and Hermione could see the blood rush to her face. "What the bloody hell is he doing here?"

Before she could pull her wand out, Harry took her arm and turned her towards him looking deeply into her eyes. She could tell something was wrong.

"Ginny," Harry started, but the red head cut him off.

"Where's Ron?"

Hermione lost it instantly, not just at his name but at the thought of his baby sister not knowing of his death.

Draco could see Hermione go pale, nearly green. He grabbed a bucket he saw in the corner and shoved it in front of her just in time for her to throw up into it. With a mix of vomit and tears, Hermione excused herself from the room.

That's when Ginny knew something was really wrong. "Harry?"

When Draco began to think of how Harry was going to tell her and how it actually happened, he saw the red sand from Ron's blood pouring out of his stomach and Hermione and Harry crying over their dying best friend. "I think I'm going to be sick as well." Draco hurried towards the bathroom despite the fact Hermione was already in there.

Ginny furrowed her brows. She knew too well Malfoy was not one to admit weakness.

"Ginny, I think you should sit down." As Harry prepared himself for what he was about say, Draco had just entered the bathroom.

"Excuse me." Draco said quickly as he pushed passed a crying Hermione and vomited into the toilet. He stood when he was done and saw her hovering over the sink. He knew it might end badly but he spoke anyways, "Are you alright?"

She closed her eyes and pursed her lips as she shook her head. She slowly turned towards him. He saw the tears on her face and he slowly lifted his hand to wipe them away. He heard her breath stutter right before she abruptly left the lavatory.

Hermione walked out of the bathroom with a clouded mind and into the room where Harry was holding and consoling a crying Ginny.

He whispered in her ear. "I wish it had been me. Ginny, I love you." But she had no words in return for she couldn't catch her breath until she saw Hermione walk back in.

"Oh Hermione." Ginny stood and gave her a hug. After a while, all the tears were shed and Ginny spoke again. "We, um, need to go. We're just loosing time. There's a reason you came here I'm assuming."

Harry's heart broke seeing her like this but he knew she didn't want to cry anymore and they did need to get going. "Yes."

"Well let's go." She crawled back through the portrait hole as the three followed her. "There's more coming Ab." She shouted over her shoulder to Aberforth. Once they reached the end of the hall, Ginny turned and put on her best smile. "You should know that it's different. Hogwarts has changed. Seeing you will restore all lost hope." Then she opened the portrait.

As the beaten up students saw who came after Ginny they all clapped. "Harry!" However, their cheers died down as they saw who followed him.

Harry coughed but the awkward silence was broken by Neville.

"Oi Harry. What are you doing here? Where's Ron?"

And again they were hit by that painful question. Harry wasn't sure why he hadn't predicted it. He could hear the two most important girls in his life begin to cry again. When he looked at everyone and saw the expression on their face he knew they had figured it out.

Neville tried to change the subject. "Whatever it is you need, we're here to help Harry."

"Um yeah ok we need to find something. It's somewhere in the castle. It will be small, easy to conceal."

"Where?" Seamus spoke.

"We don't know."

"What is it?"

"We don't know that either." He saw the hope fade again. "I realize it's not much to go on."

"That's nothing to go on." Seamus said bitterly.

"It has something to do with Ravenclaw."

Draco tried to ignore the skeptical looks everyone was giving him. This was not a place he wanted to be. He tried to ignore the silent tears that Hermione kept wiping away but that was failing as well. He wanted to comfort her but was slightly more afraid someone was going to curse him at any moment.

A dreamy voice that Draco recognized spoke, "Well there's the lost diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw." It was Luna of course. "No one? It's quite famous."

"Yes Luna," Cho Chang spoke, "but it's been missing for centuries now. There's not a person alive that's seen it."

Dean Thomas came running into the room, "Snape knows. He knows Harry was spotted at Hogsmeade."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"It has come to my attention that Harry Potter was sited at Hogsmeade earlier this evening. Now if I find out that anyone has helped Mr. Potter into the castle they will be punished severely. I suggest if you know of his whereabouts you step forward…now." Snape ranted in front of all students of Hogwarts. Despite his best efforts, no one stepped forward for a few moments until a rather short, dark haired young man came out of the crowd. Everyone gasped.

"It seems despite your high protection, you still have a bit of a security problem Professor." Harry shouted as Hermione, Draco, and the rest of the Order marched into the Great Hall. "How dare you stand where he stood? Tell them. Tell them how it happened that night!"

Draco held his breath not only was he receiving death glares from everyone in that room, but Harry was also talking about something that he still felt was completely his fault.

Snape whipped out his wand, ready to conquer Harry, but Professor McGonagall stepped into to protect him. After a short fight, Snape fled the scene and students cheered.

A screeching noise began that no one knew where it was coming from. Voldemort's voice ran through the castle in an attempt to get the students of Hogwarts to turn Harry in.

"Well what are you waiting for? Someone grab him!" Pansy Parkinson shouted, pointing at Harry.

Ginny was the first to step forward, then Hermione, and then Draco.

Draco was shaking at this point and he was sure everyone could see his trembling hand.

"Mr. Filch! Please escort the Slytherin's out of the Great Hall." McGonagall chimed.

"And where shall I be takin' 'em?"

"I think the dungeons will do." Everyone besides the Slytherin household cheered.

As the Slytherin's followed Filch and passed Draco, they spat insults.

"Blood traitor."

"Traitor."

"Worthless."

"Coward."

"Does dear old Daddy know you're here, Malfoy?"

"Weren't good enough for You-Know-Who so you had to try the other side?"

"STUPEFY!"

Everyone gasped and suddenly Hermione had all of the Slytherin's pointing their wands at her. She wasn't sure why she had cursed the boy but she wasn't letting her guard down.

**Thanks for reading. **


	21. Chapter 20

**I'm so sorry this is so late. I went on vacation last week and I've been behind on my writing. I still am behind actually, but I'm done with summer classes so it should be easier to find time to write. I hope you're all still with me and not too mad. I think you will all enjoy this chapter or at least I hope you will. Enjoy Chapter 20. **

"Enough!" McGonagall barked.

Hermione was breathing hard and it was apparent in her deep chest movements. She still had her wand raised ready to protect herself at any moment.

As the Slytherin's cleared out, Hermione became more relaxed.

"Potter, what do you need?" McGonagall asked as Harry approached her and the chaos began.

"Time."

"I'll do what I can." He started in the other direction, "And Mr. Potter," he turned back around, "it's good to see you."

"You too Professor."

Harry ran from the Great Hall on his search for Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem.

"Harry!" Hermione called. "We still need to destroy the cup."

"We can't do that without the sword."

Draco spoke this time, "The Chamber of Secrets."

"What are you on about now?" Hermione asked.

"A basilisk fang…that's how you killed the diary right?"

Harry furrowed his brows. "Yeah it is." Hermione scoffed, mad she didn't think of it herself. "You two go."

"Harr-" Hermione started to protest but Harry ignored her.

"Here take this." He handed Draco the Marauder's Map.

"What's this?" Draco asked.

"A map of Hogwarts…you can use it to find me when you're done." Harry rushed away.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hermione and Draco stood in front of the door leading to the Chamber of Secrets, stumped.

"Great. You don't happen to speak parseltongue do you?" Hermione had meant it as a sarcastic statement but her eyes went wide when he started speaking the snake language.

He shrugged his shoulders, "I'm a Pureblood Slytherin. What do you expect?"

Hermione simply rolled her eyes and pushed past him. She walked over to the snake carcass and pulled out a fang. "Here." She handed Draco the fang and laid the cup on the ground. "Since you haven't had the pleasure of doing this yet." Truth be told neither had she but she was scared.

"Are you serious?" He held the fang, not knowing what to do with it.

She looked up at him from her squatting position. "Yes Malfoy," she spat his last name out like an insult, "Too much for you to handle?" She knew she was being hypocritical but she still held a slight grudge.

He rolled his eyes and knelt down. "Do I just stab it?" She gave him another one of her notorious looks and he took it as a yes. He inhaled deeply, slightly nervous. He raised the fang and stabbed the cup. As soon as the fang left the cup it rolled away and a fierce wind took over. Hermione and Draco immediately started running the other direction as waves of water chased them. However, they weren't fast enough and a down pour of cold water drenched them.

"Bloody hell." Draco muttered.

Hermione sighed, shaking the water off of her. "Let's get out of here. This place creeps me out."

"Why? Because you could have been the one that died down here?" He didn't realize how harsh his statement sounded. Hermione fought hard to keep her tears back but her glare was full force. "I-" When he realized what he'd said he tried to correct himself but it was too late.

Hermione whipped out her wand and sent a curse his way but he dodged it. "What is wrong with you?" He attempted to answer but she had meant it to be rhetorical. "What happened to you?"

There she went…making him angry again with so few words. She was so stubborn and it annoyed him to no end. He pulled out his wand. "What happened to me? What happened to me? Let's see I was forced to become a Death Eater at sixteen. I was ordered to kill the most powerful man in the wizarding world. Failed. I fell in love with you. You screwed me over! Oh and I've been forced to kill more Muggles than I care to admit and I had to deal with it all alone because the one person I let in and trusted left me!"

She threw another curse at him that struck his arm, causing a small cut. He grabbed his arm at the stinging pain. "Left YOU? If I remember right you told me I was a worthless mudblood!"

It was his turn to fire. He went for her leg but his accuracy was less than hers and he missed. They did this for a while. Throwing and dodging curses…hiding behind rocks…wanting only one thing…to cause the other as much pain as they had caused them, neither of them realizing that they had both suffered enough already.

In a moment of running and dodging, they came face to face; wands aimed at each other waiting for the other one the finish the other off. Both were breathing deeply.

Hermione had a fierce look on her face while Draco's face softened.

He was kidding himself. He couldn't kill her or cause her any major pain. He loved her and in that moment he realized all this once again. He sighed and lowered his wand.

"No! NO!" Hermione grunted.

Draco shook his head. "I can't do it."

"Come on!" She mumbled angrily, wand still raised.

Draco shook his head, realizing that she couldn't do it either…realizing why she couldn't do it. In a moment of pure adrenaline, he pushed away her arm and passionately kissed her. It was the kind of kiss two lovers had after being away from each other for years. He wanted to inhale her…be intoxicated by her.

Hermione was shocked to say the least at his bold move but she had never felt more comfortable. However, in her mind the moment had ceased when she began to think about the last person she kissed. And with that she pulled away, picked up her wand that had been knocked out of her hand when Draco pushed her arm, and silently headed out of the Chamber.

Once they were out of the Chamber, Hermione spoke, "We need to find Harry. Do you still have the map?" Silently, he handed it to her.

He felt guilty for attacking her like that. A part of him knew it was too soon, but the other part of him, the selfish, lustful part, didn't care.

He looked over her shoulder at the map as he was astonished what it showed him. This was his first time ever viewing the map and it seemed to show everyone and where they were in Hogwarts. He quickly found Harry's name but it came just as fast as it vanished. "Where did he go?"

Hermione folded the map up and put it in her back pocket and then wiped her wet face.

Draco watched her do this and he instantly felt worse. She started to walk away but he grabbed her arm. "Hermio-"

"Um he's in the Room of Requirement. We should really go." Not once when she spoke did she look him in the eye, so he let her go and followed her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After destroying the diadem that Harry had found in the Room of Requirement, searching for Voldemort so that they could find and kill the snake, and watching Professor Snape get killed, Draco, Hermione, and Harry entered the Great Hall where the injured and dead and barely alive were gathered.

The three young people stood there at the entrance for a while not sure where to go. None of them had immediate family there to comfort them. Hermione was the first to move.

Draco watched her. To him she moved in slow motion, everything did. He watched as she reached the red headed, pureblood, family. Her family. He realized the Weasley's were her wizarding family. He saw Mrs. Weasley immediately hug her as both women began to cry, surely over Ron, Draco thought.

Harry was the next to move. He slowly made his way through the bodies and people thinking this was his entire fault. He too reached the Weasley's.

Draco still stood in the entrance of the hall feeling very out of place. He got a few harsh stares and glances but he ignored them. He started walking through the people trying to stay under the radar. He stopped when he saw a couple lying on the floor. He knew who it was. The man on the left was Remus Lupin, his ex-Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. The woman on the right was Lupin's wife, Nymphadora Tonks, Draco's cousin.

Draco fell to his knees. He couldn't stop his shoulders from shaking or the wetness on his face. He never even knew her. She was his own flesh and blood and he didn't know her at all. He moved a piece of hair that was in the middle of her face. He also put together the couple's hands. As he did so, he noticed something nearly falling out of her pocket. He pulled the small piece of thick paper out and looked at the image. It was a moving picture of Lupin, Tonks, and what Draco guessed what their baby son.

Draco had never felt more saddened and more sympathetic. This young boy had to grow up with no parents because of Voldemort. Then he realized that's exactly what had happened to Harry.

Before he could get lost in his thoughts anymore, he felt like he was being watched. He looked up and around. Of course he had the skeptical glares coming his way but then he met those warm brown eyes.

She had an expressionless look on her face and he couldn't read her at all. She jerked her head towards the doors leading to the rest of the castle.

He nodded yes of course. He took one more look at Nymphadora and pocketed the picture. He knew it was selfish and he knew it wasn't his to take but having it with him made him feel safe as though he was protected instantly.

He stood and made his way out of the Great Hall. He saw her walking ahead of him and started following. He wasn't sure where she was going or even if she knew he was following but when he sharply turned a corner he nearly jumped out of his skin when she was right on the other side.

"Are you okay?" She asked in a hushed tone. Draco swallowed hard, not really knowing how to respond. "I saw you looking at Remus and Tonks." He nodded solemnly. "She was your cousin was she not?"

He nodded again. "I didn't even know her." He slowly made his way past her and sat on the stairway that was behind her.

She turned towards him. "I did. She was a really good person." She took a seat next to him. "She was so funny. Her hair changed color according to her mood. She was stubborn too. Kind of like you. You two would have loved each other. You would have fought all the time, just as if you were brother and sister I imagine. She was also very giving and was able to see past what others couldn't. She was good like that with Remus. She took care of him when he turned. Remus was afraid of having a child, being what he was, but Tonks knew. She knew that when they created little Teddy, their son in the picture of them you took, that he would have the best qualities of both his parents. She was fearless."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Draco choked out.

"Because you wanted to know."

"How'd you know I took the picture?"

"Because I was watching you. You're not very sneaky by the way." He laughed. A genuine laugh. He hadn't realized how long it'd been since he'd even smiled. He pulled out the picture and stared. "You shouldn't feel guilty taking it."

"Why's that?"

"It's just a picture, Draco. She's your family."

Draco closed his eyes. It'd been so long since he'd heard her say his name. He took a deep breath. "I have no family."

She furrowed her brows. She was about to speak when they heard someone behind them. "Harry," he kept walking past them. "What are you doing?"

He stopped and slowly turned around. "I'm going to the Forbidden Forest." Hermione shook her head. Draco's mouth dropped. "I know something about myself and I've known for a while actually and I'm pretty sure you have too."

Hermione started crying. "I'll go with you."

"No."

"I already lost Ron. I can't lose you too. Please…" It was the first time she had used his name since he was killed.

"I have to do this by myself. I'm not going to let anyone else die for me."

Hermione threw herself at Harry, knowing that this could be the last time she ever spoke to her best friend.

Harry looked at Draco who seemed dumbfounded. Despite his shock, they seemed to be having a silent conversation in which Draco nodded.

With that Harry left Hermione's embrace and headed off to the Forbidden Forest.

**Thanks for reading. **


	22. Chapter 21

**Thanks for the reviews, alerts, and favs as always. I had a very hard time writing it for some reason. Enjoy Chapter 21.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. **

"HARRY POTTER IS DEAD!" Voldemort cheered to the large crowd of people.

It was over. Harry was dead and all hope was lost.

Draco felt numb. _How could Potter be so stupid? What did he think was going to happen?_ He stayed to the back of the group, trying to stay hidden. His eyes were boring into Hermione. She looked devastated. He knew Voldemort was still going on about his victory but he didn't care. He only wanted to comfort Hermione. Then he caught something Voldemort said.

"Step forward now and you will be rewarded."

For the first time Draco took his eyes off of Hermione. Had Voldemort spotted him? Had he known he was missing? He highly doubted it but he was still fearful. He searched the sea of black for his parents but couldn't find them anywhere. He saw his cackling Aunt Bellatrix of whom he want to bring great harm to but Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were nowhere to be found. His heart started to beat quickly. Did they leave him here to fight this war? Were they really that selfish? Were they hurt?

He saw Neville Longbottom pull out a large sword and everything from that moment on felt like a dream.

Harry rose from the dead and took aim for the snake.

Draco saw many Death Eaters flee the scene but he still saw no sign of his parents but he couldn't worry about them now. Clearly, they had to kill the snake or else Harry would surely be killed by Voldemort, again. Draco finally looked around and everyone seemed to be dueling. This was it. This was the last battle. They only had one more horcrux to kill. That's when he went running. One he needed to find the snake and kill it. Two he needed to find Hermione and make sure she was okay.

"Hermione!" He could see her but she seemed miles away. She was headed inside but he couldn't get to her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Kill the snake. Kill the snake. _Hermione kept telling herself this. She had the basilisk fang in her right hand and her wand in the other. She was on a staircase and the snake was coming right at her. She was alone and had no idea how she was going to kill this beast. She looked up and caught a glimpse of Harry and Voldemort above her. Harry looked beaten down and tired. That's when it hit her. She had to do this alone and now.

Everything came rushing back to her as the snake slithered her way. Images of Bellatrix Lestrange torturing her, Draco calling her a mudblood as he found out she was playing him, Dumbledore dead in the court yard, Ron leaving during their horcrux hunt, Harry being carried into the courtyard dead, the knife sticking out of Ron's stomach flashed in front of her.

She had meant to come up with some sneaky strategy to stab the snake with the fang but she found herself backing away until she was in the court yard again.

All those memories made her angry and sad but then new memories flashed before her like when Harry and Ron saved her from the troll in the girls bathroom during first year, the Yule Ball, her first kiss with Draco, Harry falling out of Hagrid's arms alive, her wedding with Ron, and making love to Draco.

Next thing she knew, she had tripped over a boulder and fell onto a large pile of rocks. This was it. The snake was lifting up and was going to attack. This was how she was going to die.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He saw her backing away from the snake. She seemed doe eyed. _What is she doing?_ Draco couldn't understand. She seemed to being thinking and hopefully it was about how to kill the snake. Then he saw her fall backwards so he took off running.

He couldn't get there fast enough it seemed. Before he knew it the snake had lifted off the ground ready to attack.

"Hermione!"

He pushed past people who got in the way and jumped over a pile of rocks. He saw a sword sitting in that nasty old sorting hat and in one sweeping motion he landed, grabbed the sword from the ground, and sliced the snake in half. He immediately fell to his knees, breathing hard, and looking straight at Hermione as a fierce wind took over. It was over.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Harry." Hermione went running into Harry's arms and Draco felt a pang of jealousy. However it was gone before he could think about it. There were much bigger things to think of.

"Draco." Harry took Draco's hand and shook it and Harry still held a crying Hermione. "Let's go home." Hermione nodded and with her head on Harry's shoulder they began to exit the Great Hall. When Harry realized Draco was not by his side, he turned around and furrowed his brows. Draco was still standing around looking awkward. Then he realized something. "Come on." Draco then returned the confused look to. "You're coming home with us."

Draco looked at Hermione who only gave a small smirk. "I should really find my parents."

"Mr. Malfoy." Draco turned around to see Professor McGonagall. "I really need to speak with you, in private. It's about your parents. " Draco's eyes became wide but he nodded. "If you'd like Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger may come along." He looked at the pair and nodded again. "Very well. Follow me then."

She led the three young people into a secluded space.

"Professor," Draco began.

"I'm afraid you may want to sit down for this Mr. Malfoy."

He swallowed hard and took a seat in a nearby chair. He saw Hermione and Harry share a worried look.

"Listen Professor, I just want to know where they are. If they left me and fled then fine just tell me."

"Mr. Malfoy your parents were murdered." She paused to let him take in the news. "By Voldemort, no doubt."

"When?"

"Today."

"Where?"

McGonagall sighed, "Your father was found near the shrieking shack and your mother was found in the Forbidden Forest."

"They're here aren't they?"

Hermione could tell that he was beginning to get angry. "Draco…"

"Professor? Where are they?"

"They're in the next room." He immediately took off. "Mr. Malfoy!" But before she could say anymore he entered the room and shut the door behind him.

"Um Professor, why are Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy secluded from all of the other…" Hermione couldn't even finish her statement.

"The Order and I thought that people would not react well to them being around the others."

Hermione nodded her head. McGonagall began to leave but Harry spoke. "Professor, I'm assuming everything will go to Draco."

"Well that will depend on their will Mr. Potter."

"And when will that be given to Draco?"

"I left it in the room he is currently in. He didn't give me the chance to tell him so but I have no doubt he'll find it."

As soon as she left, Draco came out of the room where his parent's bodies had been lying. He closed the door quietly and let his head hang.

Hermione looked at Harry before she walked timidly over to Draco and put her arms around him, embracing him in a hug.

"Why don't you come on back to the Burrow with us?" Harry said.

Draco didn't reply immediately, instead he held onto Hermione a little longer, taking in the scent of her hair.

Once he did not reply, Hermione pulled away and looked at him for an answer.

"I'm just going to go back to the Manor. I have some things to take care of."

Harry nodded. "Well if you change your mind that's where we'll be." Then he turned and left.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us? Can't whatever it is wait?" Hermione said softly.

Draco shook his head. "No, no I have to go." He shrugged her hand off that was gently laid on his shoulder to leave.

"Draco." Hearing his name from those lips always made him stop in his tracks but he didn't turn around. "I'm sorry."

He could tell she was crying. He didn't know what she was apologizing for. He could have easily assumed it was because of his parents but he had a feeling that wasn't it. Either way he looked over his shoulder and said, "I know."

With that he left the room and a few moments later, Hogwarts.

Harry then reentered the room. "You ready?" He noticed she was crying. "Hermione, are you okay?"

She nodded. "I'm just ready to go home."

He offered her his hand and from that position they apparated to the Burrow where they were greeted by the family of red heads.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Draco appeared in his bedroom. His house. Everything was now his. The house, the money, the vaults, the house elves, literally everything he could think of was his. He didn't want any of it but at the same time he felt obliged to keep it all. Maybe because when he thought about his parents dying he never thought they would be so, dare he say, generous enough to leave him everything.

He looked towards his bed stand and saw the picture of him and his mother. He was about six years old and he was laughing endlessly. His mother, who most saw as this cold woman, was hugging him from behind and smiling. He picked up the picture and lost it. His tears were uncontrollable and he sunk to the ground.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Harry?"

"Ginny."

The two embraced each other. Hermione smiled on, suddenly feeling alone. She turned around when Harry and Ginny began to kiss rather passionately.

"Hermione, darling." Mrs. Weasley spoke.

"Oh Mrs. Weasley." She walked over to her mother in law or at least she was her motherly figure in this world.

"Oh what did I tell you about calling me that? It's Molly."

Hermione smiled, "Of course."

"I just wanted you to know that just because my Ronnie-kins is gone," she paused, surely to regain her composure Hermione thought, "doesn't make you any less of a daughter to me."

"Thank you Mrs., I mean Molly."

"Molly?" Harry and Ginny had entered the conversation. "I have something I'd really like to discuss with you and the rest of the family. It's about," he stopped briefly, "It's about how Ron died." Mrs. Weasley looked horror stricken. "If you would rather not know that's fine I just figured you would or if anyone else wants to know…"

"No I think we should hear what you have to say. I'll get Arthur and the rest of the family."

Harry nodded and turned to Hermione, "If you don't want to sit through this I'm sure they'll understand."

Hermione swallowed, "No. No I'm fine really. I feel like I should be here and I can handle it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am." And she was. For some reason she knew she'd be able to handle it. Though she still missed him, everyday it became easier.

By the time, Harry was finished telling the story behind Ron's death, he was surrounded by teary-eyed people. He had expected this much. As he comforted a crying a Ginny, he looked over at Hermione who, although she wasn't crying, looked as though a dementor was hovering over her shoulder. She caught his eye and shook her head reassuring him that she was fine.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next day, there was still no sign of Draco. Hermione was sitting on her bed in the Burrow when Harry came in.

"Alright Hermione?"

"Yeah. It's just weird being back. Not having any horcruxes to hunt or evil wizards to kill." They both laughed. When the laughter faded, Hermione struggled to make out her next words, "Harry, do you think he's alright?"

Harry sighed and sat down next to Hermione. "He just needs some time to process it all. He's probably back at his manor deciding which house elf gets to clean out the basement." He had meant it as a joke but he should have known a house elf joke wasn't the way to go with Hermione.

She stood. "Harry! Those house elves work so much for nothing! And they've been brainwashed to think they like it. Oh god there's probably dozen at that manor."

"Hermione, calm down. I'm sorry. I meant it as a joke; ya know to lighten the mood."

She sat back down. "I'm simply worried I'll never see him again."

"He cares about you too much to never see you again Hermione. He'll be okay."

**Thanks for reading.**


	23. Chapter 22

**Sorry for the late update. Just afraid you guys won't like it. I want to emphasize that this is NOT the last chapter nor is it an epilogue and it is still a Dramione story. Enjoy Chapter 22. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. **

ONE YEAR LATER

"Congratulations Hermione!" Everyone shouted at once.

Hermione was beaming. She had just completed her last year at Hogwarts and the Weasley's plus Harry were throwing her a small party. Everyone including Arthur and Molly, Fred, George, Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Ginny, Harry, Teddy Lupin, Neville, Luna, and even Kingsley with his new position as Minister of Magic, had managed to make an appearance.

"Congratulations Hermione." Harry whispered in her ear as everyone dispersed to their own conversations. "I'm proud of you." They shared a hug.

"Thank you Harry." She took a sip of her butterbeer. "Oh did you and Neville ever catch that man who tortured and killed the young muggle girl a month ago?"

Harry sighed exasperated from his auror job. "No he's still out there somewhere but we just got a new lead today and it looks promising."

"Good. He deserves a lifetime in Azkaban."

"Smile you two!" Ginny came up from behind them with a camera in hand. Harry and Hermione turned around and smiled as Ginny snapped the camera. "Okay now Harry take a picture of me and Hermione on her big day. I'm so jealous I still have another year left." Harry took a picture of his two best girls. He loved them both but in different ways. He handed the camera back to Ginny who gave him a kiss in return. "Ok I'll have all these picture to you guys by the end of the night." She turned to walk away but then stopped and turned back around. "Oh Hermione when is he getting here?"

"He should be here any time now." Hermione looked around as though he would appear amongst the crowd.

"There's the big guy." Harry smiled making his way over to the door.

"I swear he likes him more than he likes me." Hermione joked to Ginny.

Ginny sighed. "He really is handsome. Aren't you glad you went back?"

Hermione smiled, biting her bottom lip. "Yeah I am." And with that she made her way over to the door.

"Hermione." He said in a low voice as he gave her a soft peck on the lips in front of everyone.

"I'm so glad you're here." She said still his long arms.

He smiled. "How about tomorrow night you and me go out to eat and celebrate on our own?"

"I'd love that." And she stood on her tip toes to give him another kiss.

"Okay you two smile!" They smiled happily as Ginny snapped their photo.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Draco had just arrived back to the Manor. His bed had never felt more welcoming. He hadn't slept in it for almost a year now. It still smelt like him. In fact, if it hadn't have been for the cleaning of the house elves he presumed it wouldn't have even been made. He laid down on it and stared up at the ceiling for a few moments until he heard an all too familiar popping sound.

"Master Draco! Twinky had not realized you were back sir." Twinky was his personal house elf and quite frankly his favorite. He noticed the house elf had a large protrusion on her stomach. It looked as though she had hidden a quaffle under her potato bag of a shirt. But before he could question it the house elf continued. "Twinky has done a very bad thing Master Draco. Twinky should be punished severely. Twinky did something she was not supposed to without Master's permission."

"Twinky! Twinky!" He tried to get her attention but she started hitting herself on the head. "Twinky stop. What did you do?" The house elf looked down at her stomach. "Twinky are you pregnant?"

At his words, she began to cry horrifically and brought a book to her head. "Twinky is sorry Master Draco! Twinky told Dobby Master would be mad!"

"Wait, Dobby?" He pulled the book out of her hand and made her face him. "First off stop hurting yourself. I command you not to hurt yourself in any manner as long as I live. Okay?"

"Yes, Master."

"Good. Now second, what does Dobby…" Before he could finish his question he answered it.

"Twinky knows she can't mate without Master's permission…"

"Twinky it's okay." He looked down at her again. "When are you…when are you?"

"Twinky doesn't know sir. I've never had one before sir."

"Don't worry about it okay?" Twinky nodded. For a second he thought she was reaching for the book again but had to stop herself. She went to leave but he stopped her. "And Twinky I don't want you working too hard in your condition."

"Oh Twinky is fine Master. Twinky must work."

"You misunderstand me. I'm not freeing you I just don't want any harm done to you."

"Of course Master." And with another pop she was gone.

Draco sighed and began unpacking his bags. When he opened the first one he found a picture. He smiled at the picture. It was of himself and two middle aged muggles, a man and a woman. He set the picture down on his end table, reminiscing.

The next thing he pulled out was a pile of letters. Most were from Harry and Blaise Zabini. He had never answered Harry's letters but he had with Blaise's.

He knew Harry wouldn't understand and his letters showed so. He asked him why he did what he did and let him know where they were just in case. He had come to visit Draco at the Manor a week after the final battle but Draco had been too drunk to listen.

_(Flashback)_

"_Where have you been?" Harry entered Draco's room to find him sitting in the dark in a chair positioned in the corner. _

"_Here." When Draco spoke Harry could smell the liquor on his breath._

"_Have you been drinking?" Harry turned on the lights and Draco groaned. He saw Draco for the first time. He had a clear five o'clock shadow and his hair looked disorderly. He smelt of not only liquor but just plain uncleanliness. "What the bloody hell is going on Draco? You haven't even written to her. I sent you a letter two days ago saying we had moved to Grimmauld Place. I got no response. What are you playing at?" _

"_I'm just done." He shortly responded._

"_Listen I know you're unhappy about your parents and you have every right to be but at least talk to her. She's worried about you." _

"_She deserves better than me." He took a swig of what Harry guessed was firewhiskey._

"_You are a good man Draco." _

"_I'm a Death Eater." He spat._

"_You were a Death Eater." Harry corrected him._

_Draco angrily stood out of his chair. "No one stops being a Death Eater!" _

"_You chose the right side in the end. That's all that matters. You're not the same stuck up little prat you used to be. You've changed. She needs you." _

"_I'm leaving." He sat the bottle down on his night stand and pulled a bag out from under his bed._

"_What?" _

"_I'm leaving." He repeated._

"_And where are you going?" _

"_Anywhere." He began sloppily throwing his clothes in the bag._

"_Listen if it's the Manor that bothers you then you can stay with me and Hermione at Grimmauld Place. There is plenty of room." _

"_You don't get it do you? I'm not good for her." _

"_She told me about the kiss…in the Chamber of Secrets. She told me you kissed her." This finally had his attention. "She still loves you." _

"_I just…I can't." _

"_You've given up too much to quit now. I know this isn't what you want. Maybe if you would quit feeling sorry for your drunk self we wouldn't be having this discussion!" _

"_Get out." _

"_Fine." Harry started backing away. "Fine but when you realize that you're making the biggest mistake of your life don't come running back to me." He turned to leave the room but stopped. "You're right. She does deserve better than this Draco Malfoy." And with that he left._

_(End Flashback)_

Blaise, however, had gone back to Hogwarts, met the girl of his dreams apparently and was now being prepped to go into Auror training. Blaise had always been a good friend of his and unlike his family, Blaise's family had decided to stay out of the war. Blaise had been his one connection to home while being on his trip and through their letters, had become even a better best friend than before.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hermione are you ready yet?"

"Just a minute."

"I'm hungry." He complained.

"Okay okay. I'm ready." She came down the stairs in a long, sparkly red gown that cut extra low on her chest. "I don't know why we are this dressed up and this gown is just too much. You shouldn't have done this. It's too much."

"Nothing is ever too much for you."

She looked at him sweetly. "Thank you." She took his arm that he offered her. "Where are we going by the way?"

"It's a surprise." He smirked and she simply rolled her eyes knowing there was no use in arguing.

They apparated and landed in front of a tall building. She could hear music coming from inside.

"What is this place?"

"Z's Elegance."

"How come I've never heard of it?" She asked finally taking her eyes off of the building.

He shrugged. "It's new. Let's go." He opened the door for her and followed with a gentle hand on the small of her back.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Draco looked at the letter again to make sure he knew where he was going. Blaise had written him earlier that day and asked if he could come to dinner later tonight since he was back in town. He was taking his new girlfriend out and he wanted Draco to meet her.

Blaise had said this was an upscale restaurant so Draco dressed appropriately in his robes. He turned around and nearly jumped out of his clothes when he saw someone standing in his doorway.

"I heard you were back. I had to see it for myself though."

"Potter, I don't need a lecture."

Harry moved closer to him. "Where the bloody hell have you been?"

Draco sighed. "Well for the first three months I sat in this house feeling sorry for myself and being drunk." Harry snorted. He had seen him like that and wasn't pleased. "Then I went to Australia."

Harry's eyes widened. "What were you doing in Australia?"

"What do you think I was doing, Potter?"

"How'd you know about Hermione's parents?" After all she hadn't told many people that she erased her parents memories making them believe they were different people who lived in Australia.

"I overheard her talking to you about it once."

"And why is it you couldn't even write her? Why did this have to be a secret?"

"Because it wasn't just for her. It was for me too."

"I really don't give a damn. But you are going to go to Grimmauld Place and apologize to her."

"Can't. I have to go meet Blaise."

"Blaise?"

"Yeah he asked me to come to dinner. He wants me to meet his new girlfriend or something."

"But…" Harry started.

"Listen Potter I don't have time to get yelled at. I will come see her and explain myself soon. I promise. When I'm ready I'll come see her." Then he left to go meet Blaise.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As he and Hermione finished their meal, he turned towards her. "Listen I hope you don't mind but I invited someone for dessert. He's been out of town for a while and well he's pretty much my best friend and I want you guys to meet."

"I don't mind at all." She smiled.

In that moment, he took her hand in one of his and her cheek in the other and gave her a passionate kiss. He knew she wasn't one for public displays nor was he but he simply didn't care.

He pulled back slowly with a sincere look on his face, "Hermione, I lo-"

"Blaise?" A man's voice came.

Hermione knew that voice and it made her stomach clench. She looked away from Blaise to the man and her worst fears were confirmed.

"Draco!" Blaise exclaimed happily and obliviously and stood to shake his best friend's hand but he had another thing coming; a fist to be exact.

Draco had hit him hard with his right hook.

Hermione gasped and stood from her seat to kneel down beside Blaise who thankfully was not unconscious. "Are you alright?" She sharply turned her head towards Draco. "What the bloody hell was that Malfoy?"

His heart sank when she called him by his surname.

Blaise stood. "Good to see you too man." When no one said anything, he spoke again. "Care to explain?" However, he seemed to be out of the loop like Draco and Hermione were having this silent conversation and he couldn't understand when suddenly Hermione slapped Draco straight across the face and stormed out of the restaurant.

Draco rubbed his cheek, attempting to make the stinging go away but not really wanting it to. It was his only physical connection with her anymore. "She's the girl I was always telling you about."

Blaise's eyes widened. "She's the girl I was always telling you about."

**Don't kill me. Thanks for reading. **


	24. Chapter 23

**Sorry for the wait. Thank you for all the reviews as always. We are very close to the end but as you will see this chapter isn't the last. Enjoy Chapter 23.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize.**

Harry was sitting in the living space of Grimmauld Place with Ginny when he heard the door close.

"Hermione?"

He didn't hear a reply but instead sobs. He saw her slowly make her way upstairs. He looked at Ginny worriedly and got up to follow her. Just as he took his first step up he heard a knock at the door. When he opened it he saw two men.

"Potter, you could have told me Blaise's girlfriend was Hermione."

"I tried but you didn't want to hear it."

"Where is she?" Blaise asked worriedly.

"She's upstairs." Harry replied.

Blaise pushed past him and ran up to Hermione. He slowly opened the door to her room. She was on the bed crying, still in the dress he had bought her for that evening. "Hermione."

She jumped up and turned her head. Once she realized who it was she hurried over to him. "Oh Blaise. I'm so sorry." She cried into his chest.

"It's not your fault. You didn't know. I'm the one who's sorry."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for either. We just never put two and two together."

_(Flashback)_

_Hermione was walking along a corridor of Hogwarts. It was her second week back and she was depressed. She didn't understand why Draco had left and never contacted her. She didn't even know if he was alive. He never replied to any of Harry's letters. _

_She turned the corner and ran into someone, someone strong. _

"_Oh I'm so sorry." Said a soft but deep voice. He offered her a hand. _

_She took the hand and when she looked up she was surprised to see Blaise Zabini. "Thank you, Blaise. I didn't know you were back this year as well." _

"_I don't like to make things very public." He flashed a smile at her and she couldn't help but blush. "Now what's a pretty girl like you doing crying?" _

"_I'm not crying." _

"_Ah but you have been. Your eyes are red, your hair is pulled back, and" he bent down and picked something up, "you have used tissue falling out everywhere." He smiled again. _

"_It's nothing." _

"_Which means it's something." When she didn't respond he continued. "Would you like to talk about it?" She looked almost scared. "I may be a Slytherin but I promise I don't bite." _

_She laughed. She hadn't laughed in a long time. "No it's not the Slytherin thing, it's just you're different than I thought you would be." _

"_And what did you think I would be like?" _

_She had wanted to say Draco but couldn't and didn't want to say his name. It would only make her cry. "I guess I'm not sure." _

"_Are you on your way to Potions?" _

"_Yes." _

_He grinned yet again. "Do you mind if I walk you?" She shook her head and smiled. _

_The two got to know each other very well during their time at Hogwarts. He explained to her his thoughts on the war along with a strange friendship he had with a guy who left town and she ended up opening up to him about Draco although she never told him who she was talking about for fear of crying. She also told him about Ron and her horcrux hunt with Harry. _

_Eventually Blaise threw in the towel of friendship and kissed her. To his surprise she began kissing back. _

_(End Flashback)_

Blaise convinced Hermione to change out of her dress and to go to bed. He decided to leave out the fact that Draco was right down stairs. When she was asleep he headed back down stairs.

"Blaise…" Draco was still there.

"You left her."

Draco showed a confused look on his face. "You knew I left her."

"I didn't know it was her." He pointed upstairs. "I didn't know it was someone I cared about, someone I love."

Draco as well as Harry and Ginny who were sitting on the couch looked shocked.

Ginny spoke, "You love her?"

Blaise rolled his eyes, "Of course I do." He turned back to Draco. "I fixed her. I was the one who listened to her cry over you. I was the one who mended her broken heart. Me and that was because of you."

"I told you I planned on coming back to her and beg her for forgiveness. I love her too." He heard Harry snort. "What now, Potter?"

"If you loved her you would have never left her." Harry stated simply.

"It was a mistake…"

"And I told you not to come to me when you realized that." Harry spat. He was still so angry at Draco for leaving his best friend like that.

"I just needed some time." Draco whispered.

"Well Hermione fell in love in the meantime."

Draco shook his head. "She doesn't love him. She doesn't look at him like she used to look at me."

Ginny stood. "And she didn't look at you like she looked at Ron." They were all speechless after she said this. "Look you're all different. The only one who can decide who should be with Hermione is Hermione." She walked closer to Draco. "You left her. You never even let her know you were still alive."

"She loves me. I know she does. If she didn't she wouldn't have walked out of that restaurant."

"No she doesn't Draco." Blaise said sternly. "We're together and there's nothing you can do about it."

With that Draco walked out the front door. Blaise turned back to Ginny and Harry who were both smiling at him.

Ginny spoke. "You really love her don't you?"

He nodded his head. "Yeah I do." He sighed. "Well I'm gonna get going. I'll be back tomorrow." Blaise too walked out the front door.

Harry sat down on the couch and threw his head in his hands as Ginny sat down next to him and threw an arm around his shoulder. She sighed and said, "You know she doesn't love him right?"

Harry wiped his face, "I know."

"And you know she'll choose him, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah I know." Ginny stood back up. "Where are you going?"

"To talk to Hermione."

"But she's asleep."

Ginny smirked. "Trust me she's not asleep." Ginny made her way up the stairs and into Hermione's bedroom. Hermione was sitting in the window sill looking out at the night sky. "Hey." When her friend didn't respond she continued. "What's on your mind Hermione?" She shrugged. "Do you love him?"

Hermione threw her head back on the wall and closed her eyes. "Yes. Yes I do."

Ginny took a deep breath. "I thought so." She sat across from Hermione on the window sill. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know Ginny."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Draco apparated directly into his bedroom. He looked around and was so angry he started throwing things everywhere. He tore off his bed sheets. He threw a lamp across the room that broke as it hit the wall. He pushed over his night stand. He ripped down his curtains. He stopped when he saw the picture of himself and two muggles. The people standing in the picture were Hermione's parents, still working as dentist in Australia. He had just had his first teeth cleaning ever and his smile showed it. He was standing in between her mother and father with his arms around them both. They too were smiling brightly.

He sighed sadly. He had talked to every powerful wizard he knew but the memory charm Hermione placed on her parents could not be removed. They would never remember they had a daughter living in London.

He quickly changed out of his dress robes and into a pair of pants and a t-shirt. He put the picture in the back pocket of his pants and apparated back to Grimmauld Place.

He landed directly in the living room where he had stood moments before. He hoped that Harry and Ginny had already gone to bed and that Blaise had already left but he heard something move. He tried to quietly make his way up the stairs.

"She's in the shower."

Draco turned around. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to disturb you."

Ginny smiled, clinging to her robe. "You didn't. I was still awake."

"Is Po-"

"He's asleep." He nodded. "Go. I won't tell him. Just be quiet."

Draco smirked. "Thank you, G-ginny." He hurried up the stairs.

He could hear the shower running from her bedroom and with a deep breath he silently entered the lavatory.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hermione was under the hot water thinking about the night she had had. Draco was back but did that really mean anything to her anymore? She had Blaise now.

She let the hot water and steam hit her face as she rubbed it with both hands. She stayed in that position for a while. She had done the same thing after the war. A hot shower seemed to help her wash everything away. However, thoughts of her past came rushing back and she rubbed her face even harder, covering her eyes, the water still running down her front.

She took a deep breath as the curtain was slowly pulled open. She sluggishly moved her hands away from her face and turned her head to the person standing there. It had been who she thought it would be.

Draco appeared before her. He didn't scare her nor was she embarrassed. Neither person said anything. They didn't even move for a while until Draco began removing his clothes. First he shed his black shirt and let it fall to the floor. Then he unbuttoned his pants and stepped out of them along with his under clothes. The whole time he never broke eye contact.

He stood there for a little longer until he took a step in the shower closing the curtain behind him.

As he inched his way towards her, Hermione backed up against the wall. Her heart was pounding and she was sure he could hear it.

When there was nowhere else to go, no more room to move, he placed both of his hands on the side of her face moving wet, clinging hair out of the way. Water began splashing him as well and soon his white blonde hair clung to his face as well.

She wasn't sure how he could tell the difference between the water and her tears but he wiped them away with his thumb.

And then gently but passionately he pressed his lips to hers. She found it easy to kiss him. After all she had wanted this moment for so long.

After their long, hot shower they got dressed and reentered her bedroom. They still hadn't said a word to each other. He watched her as she sat down on the end of her bed avoiding eye contact with him.

"Hermione…"

"I'm pregnant."

He was sure she was kidding but when she looked him in the eye he could tell she wasn't. He was so hurt. "You, you slept with him?"

She had tears outlining her eyes as she nodded. "You're the only one who knows. I haven't even told Blaise."

"Do you love him?"

She hesitated for a long period of time. "No."

"Then why would you shag him? That's not like you."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I-I don't know. I just did it."

"So it only happened once?" It hurt him to talk about this but knowing was better than not knowing.

"No."

He ran his fingers through his hair angrily and groaned. "Damn it Hermione."

"He was there and you weren't." She spat, calmly.

"What are you going to do?" Draco felt like he would faint. When did all of this get so messed up?

"I don't know, Draco." She stood up and made her way over to him putting herself in his arms. "I'm so confused."

They stayed like that for a while until he pushed her away from him. "I shouldn't have come here."

"What?"

"Blaise. Blaise is my best friend. I betrayed him. He's going to be a father. I-I shouldn't have come here. I have to go."

"What?" She repeated.

"I'm leaving." He started for the door.

"Just like last time, right?" She spat angrily.

He stopped and turned around. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You've left twice now I guess I should be used to it. Third times a charm right?"

"Twice?"

"Yeah. The first time was when you found out about Harry's plan and the second well that's obvious isn't it? Just go. We can act like this never happened. I have Blaise now."

"I left you the first time because you lied to me and as for the second time here." He shoved a photo in her hands.

"What is this?"

"Take a look."

She looked down and gasped when she saw her parents. "How did you get this?"

"You want to know where I've been for the past year? That's your answer."

"You found my parents? Where are they? Did you bring them back?"

"Yes, they're still in Australia. I couldn't lift the memory charm nor could I find anyone who could."

"Draco."

"Listen Hermione…" He stopped when she collapsed on the ground. He rushed over to her. "Hermione!"

"I need to go to the hospital." She whispered.

"What's wrong?"

"Hermione?!" Harry and Ginny came bursting into the room. Draco only hoped Ginny could restrain Potter from beating him for being here.

"Something's wrong with the baby."

**Thanks for reading.**


	25. Chapter 24

**PLEASE READ: Thank you as always. I have a bittersweet feeling right now because this is the last chapter. I'm sad it's come to an end but I'm also glad to have another one under my belt. Good thing about this chapter is that is it the longest one I have ever written. I thought about doing an epilogue but if I did it might be short. If you guys want one let me know and I'll think about it. It will heavily effect my decision. Thank you again to all of those who have stuck with me through the good and the bad. I appreciate it more than you know. Enjoy Chapter 24. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. **

Blaise hurriedly rushed into the hospital to see Ginny, Harry, and Draco. "Where is she?" He hated the fact that Draco was here and wondered how and why he was here before himself.

Harry stood. "I'll walk you to her room."

"Why are you all out here?"

"She doesn't want to see anyone but you."

Blaise beamed at this information and followed Harry down the hallway. He turned in the doorway and saw Hermione lying on her side sobbing. There was also a healer checking on her.

"Hermione?"

"Oh Blaise." She lifted her head.

He took a seat beside her bed and pushed her hair out of her face. "What happened?"

"She had what we call an ectopic pregnancy." The healer said.

"What?" Blaise looked down at Hermione. "You're pregnant?"

She shook her head quickly, releasing more tears.

The healer coughed. "Essentially the ectopic pregnancy terminated the fetus. I'll leave you two alone."

"Hermione…"

She cut him off before he could go any further. "Blaise I'm so sorry."

"No, Hermione this isn't your fault."

"No you don't understand." She sniffed.

"What are you going on about?"

"I kissed Draco."

He removed his hand that had been stroking her hair and went to stand by the window with his back turned towards her. After a long moment he spoke again. "It's him isn't it?"

"Blaise…"

He began laughing. "Did you even love me at all?"

"Blaise you are one of my best friends." He laughed again. "What is so bloody funny?"

"All in a few hours I lost my best friend, my girlfriend, and a baby I didn't even know I had."

"I don't want to lose you, Blaise. You were there for me when no one else was."

"Exactly. I was there when he wasn't. I was there to pick up the pieces that he left behind. He left you, Hermione. And you're just going to forgive him instantly?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because I'm in love with him."

Blaise scoffed. "So I was just you're rebound."

"No you were my best friend."

"That you shagged." He shook his head as he finally understood. "You were just using me."

"No. This is all coming out so wrong."

"I'm going to go."

She stood slowly and found it was painful to move. "Please don't."

"What do you want from me? You want me to just stand around and watch you two be happy? Do you know how torturous it is for me to be in the same room as you at this moment?"

She was standing directly in front of him but he had his arms crossed. "I-I don't…" She couldn't even find words.

He took her face in his hands and kissed her passionately. When he pulled away he flashed her his famous smile full of bright white teeth. He put a stray hair that had fallen out of her messy bun behind her ear, kissed her forehead, and walked out, leaving her behind.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Draco saw Blaise storm down the hallway and past him. He stood quickly and chased after him. "Blaise!" But Blaise didn't stop in fact he walked even faster so Draco began to run. "Blaise!" He reached out and at the moment he touched his friend's upper arm he felt like he was being sucked through a small tube. He looked up to see he was in a small apartment. He guessed this is where Blaise was residing. "Blaise, man."

"What else do you want from me?" Draco didn't know how to respond. "You win. She doesn't love me. She loves you. So," he began to speak very slowly, "what else do you want from me?"

"You're my best friend, Blaise."

He scoffed at this. "Yeah evidently I'm everyone's best friend."

"This wasn't what I wanted."

"Yeah well it's what you got; a girl and no best friend."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A few days later, Hermione was settled back into her room at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. She was looking out her window when there was a knock on her door. She turned around to see her best friend.

"I was just checking on you."

"I'm fine, Harry." She smiled.

"Ginny's making soup. It should be done any minute now."

"I think I should find my own place Harry."

"What do you mean? You know you're always welcome here." He walked closer to her.

"I know and I love you for that but I think I should just be on my own for a while. I have the money and a secure job."

"He told you about your parents didn't he?" She nodded her head. "I'm sorry Hermione."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I knew what I was doing when I placed the charm on them and I knew the risks."

"So you're really moving?"

She smiled. "I am."

"Do you know where you'll be going?"

"No not yet. I'm actually going to look today."

"Hermione don't you think this is all a little fast?"

She sat down on the end of the bed. "What do you mean? I've been living here…"

"No that's not what I mean. Hermione, you just lost a baby." When she didn't say anything he continued. "It's okay to be sad." He sat down next to her.

"I'm just not ready to talk about it okay?"

Harry nodded. "It's really done with you and Blaise, isn't it?"

"Harry I know he was supposed to go in to Auror training and I don't want this to affect that at all. He deserves at least that."

"I assure you he will still be accepted into the program. He's a great guy with great skills."

"I know."

"And what about Malfoy?"

"I care about him."

"Even after he left you for a year?"

"Harry I don't know how to explain it."

"Come here." He put his arm around her. "You are the best person I know, you know that?"

She scoffed. "I don't know how you can say that, Harry. Look what I did to Blaise."

"You are the best person I know because you know what you want and you're not afraid to go for it and your forgiveness is overwhelming."

"I'm not a good person if I hurt people in the process of getting what I want."

"You didn't hurt him. You did the right thing by letting him go and one day he'll understand that."

She smiled and rolled her eyes. "I love you, Harry."

"I love you too." He kissed her temple.

"Hem-hem." They turned to see Ginny. "Hermione there's someone here to see you."

Ginny moved from the door way to reveal Draco. Hermione could feel Harry's arm tense around her shoulders.

"I can come back if this is a bad time." Draco said.

Hermione looked towards Harry as though asking him for permission. He stood, "No we just finished our conversation." He left the two behind to talk.

Hermione stood from the bed and walked over to the window.

"Hi." Draco said, unsurely.

Hermione turned to face him, smiling. She saw his posture relax. "Hi."

"Hermione I…" He seemed to struggle for words. "I guess I never really apologized to you for what I did." She nodded in agreement. "So I'm sorry for leaving you like that. It was a mistake. Don't get me wrong I don't regret going to Australia and finding your parents. I just…if I would have known things would have played out like this I would have never been so selfish. I mean I shouldn't have been selfish in the first place."

"You could have wrote me or at least replied to Harry so I knew you were alright and what did you expect me to do, sit around waiting for you for no one knows how long? I thought you were never coming back." She spoke softly, without anger.

"You're right. I was just in a pretty dark place."

"Why? I don't understand. The war was over. You had me."

"I had just lost my parents and I figured they would throw me in Azkaban for being a Death Eater."

"And when you found out you weren't going to Azkaban?"

"I left for Australia the day after."

"Why?"

"Because I had just lost my parents and I knew if I could get yours back that part of me would be happy again."

She sat down on the window sill, still facing him, her arms crossed. He walked quickly across the room and knelt in front of her. "Draco…"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Hermione. I was a selfish prat. I was childish and I didn't realize what I was doing to you."

She bent down and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "It's going to take some time."

He sighed and stood, nodding. "I understand." He began to walk away.

She stood as she said, "But I want to try."

He turned around. He didn't have the expression on his face that she thought he would. She thought he would be happy, joyful, excited but he just looked confused and almost sad.

"Why?"

She smirked. "Because I'm still in love with that boy in the Room of Requirement kissing me for the first time." She moved closer to him. "Because I'm still in love with that boy on the Astronomy Tower listening to every detail about my Muggle life. And because I'm still in love with that boy who woke up the next morning and told me he loved me."

She kissed him again, but this time on the cheek. When she pulled away he stopped her and kissed her on the lips.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I cannot believe you found a place on your first day out looking and more than that its move in ready." Ginny exclaimed as she enlarged the last moving box containing Hermione's things.

"I know. It's incredible. It's the perfect size, price, location, everything." Hermione beamed, charming the boxes to unpack themselves into the proper place. The clothes hung themselves in her closet. The pots and pans went to the cupboards. The books placed themselves orderly on the book shelf in the living room. And her pictures neatly propped up on the walls.

"Hey Hermione?"

"In the bedroom!"

Harry walked into the room. "I just got called into work. Something about alarms going off. We think it's the guy who killed the muggle girl. I have to go."

"Oh my. Go." Hermione said. She could see the worried look on Ginny's face.

"Be careful." Ginny whispered as she walked over to Harry.

He smiled at her. "Always." He kissed her square and left.

"He's going to be fine, Gin." Hermione said as she sat down in her desk chair.

"I know. It's just I really worry about him now that he's out of training and a real Auror. It's scary. He's chasing down bad guys…guys who want to kill him."

"Ginny, you do realize you're talking about the boy who killed the darkest most powerful wizard ever?"

They both laughed. "Yeah I guess you're right." She looked at Hermione who was looking at her hands in her lap. "Do you want to talk about it? The pregnancy? The boys? All of it?"

"I don't want to talk about it but I guess I should huh?" She took a deep breath. "Well you know how Blaise and I got together. I mean you were there after all."

"You never told me you slept with him."

Hermione sighed. "I guess I was a little ashamed to be honest and not because of Blaise but because I wasn't in love with him. I'm just not normally one of those people who can shag someone without being in love." When Ginny didn't say anything back she continued. "So I found out I was pregnant about a week before we left Hogwarts."

"Oh Hermione why didn't you tell me? I could have been there for you."

"I know you would have. I just wasn't sure what I was going to do and I didn't want to tell anyone before I did. Anyways I got home and everyone welcomed Blaise with open arms and then I got to thinking maybe this is the guy I should be with. I mean with Ron and Draco gone, Blaise was, well he was amazing."

"But you weren't in love with him." Ginny interrupted.

"I know it sounds crazy and I tried so hard to have that type of connection with him I just couldn't make it happen. And I was going to tell Blaise after our special dinner in celebration of us completing school but then we were sitting a dinner and he had just told me that he invited his best friend for desert. I didn't even think twice about who it would be. Blaise was about to tell me something when Draco showed up and punched Blaise."

Ginny gasped. "He didn't?!"

"Unfortunately he did. Once I made sure Blaise was okay I slapped Draco and got out of there as fast as I could. I just I was in shock. I was dealing with being pregnant and Blaise and then all the sudden the guy I've been in love with and pissed off at comes strolling in like he's fine."

"I can't imagine how that felt."

"Seeing him…I couldn't even breathe Ginny. I wanted to cause him as much pain as he'd caused me but at the same time I just wanted to hold him and kiss him and tell him I loved him and that everything was going to be okay. I know I sound like a stupid girl."

"No you don't Hermione. You're just a person and feelings are normal." She smirked and Hermione laughed at her. "Continue."

"Well you know the rest."

Ginny smiled. "Oh no. No I don't actually. I know that after you saw Draco in the restaurant you came here and they both followed you. Blaise went up to your room and talked to you and eventually they left and then later that night Draco came back for you." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Next thing I know we're at St. Mungo's. What happened with you two?"

"I was in the shower and he came in there. I didn't oppose."

"He got in the shower with you?"

Hermione nodded. "I still feel guilty about it." Hermione continued to tell Ginny her perception of what happened over the time that had lapsed between then and now.

When she was done Ginny sighed. "So you and Blaise…you two are done?"

"He won't even speak to me Ginny."

"And you and Draco? You two are together?"

"I suppose you could say that. We're taking it slow."

There was a sudden tapping on the window. Hermione opened it to a small black owl. She took the parchment, read the letter, and smiled.

"Who's it from?"

Hermione handed the letter to Ginny.

_Astronomy Tower. Midnight._

Ginny giggled. "That is so romantic but how are you supposed to get into Hogwarts?"

Another owl appeared with another letter. Hermione read it. "It says apparate."

"But no one can apparate in or out of Hogwarts." Ginny stated.

Another owl then appeared. Hermione opened it. "This one says 'Don't worry. I set it up.'"

Ginny smiled at her. "Harry is going to be so mad."

They both laughed.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

At exactly 11:59 p.m. Hermione apparated from her small flat directly onto the Astronomy Tower. When she arrived she saw Draco leaning over the railing. He smiled and leaned up. She took this opportunity to give him a chaste kiss.

She whispered. "Déjà vu." He handed her something. "What's this?"

"I read it."

She looked down and saw that he had handed her a very torn up copy of Romeo and Juliet. "Is this…?"

"Yes. I read it cover to cover. Once right after you gave it to me. Once when I found out about Potter's scheme. Once when I was bored in the Manor. Once when we were at Fleur and Bill's cottage. Once when I was drunk after the war. Once when I was in Australia." He smiled at her flabbergasted face. "It's very fitting for us which I imagine you already knew."

"I can't believe you actually read it."

He lifted her face with both of his hands. "I not only read it. I slept with it. I wept with it. It was you when I didn't have you. It was my way of keeping you with me."

"Even when I lied to you?"

He pushed some of her hair behind her ear. "Hermione, I never stopped loving you. Not even when I found out you were with me just for information. Not even when I watched you get tortured. Not even when you weren't speaking to me. Not even during our fight in the Chamber of Secrets. Not even when I left you. Not even when I found out you were with my best friend."

"Oh Draco…" He kissed her passionately. She smiled. "Who would have thought Draco Malfoy would fall in love with a Mudblood? But that was the plan after all." She giggled but his face turned to stone.

"Don't call yourself that."

"But it's what I am." She smirked and looked down at her wrist. She pulled up her sleeve a fourth of the way and said, "Remember this?" Referring to the time the slashed her own wrist.

But that small slash was not what Draco noticed. "Oh Hermione…" He took her arm and lifted her sleeve even more revealing the word "mudblood."

"Draco…"

He rubbed his hand over her arm and then lifted it to his face. He took her hand in his and kissed it. "I will always protect you."

**Thanks for reading. **


End file.
